"They are boys."

Translation: Eles são meninos.

[josiebla]

why can't i leave the "eles" out?

[Paulenrique]

You can.

[Ron298]

Duolingo does not accept "são meninos" as an answer, and corrects it as "eles são meninos", but it should accept it.

[Ulysser]

That's why they and you use the same form são, if you only say são, the sense becomes ambigual.

[josiebla]

obrigada! duolingo didn't accept that

[lovingthenemy]

How do I know when to use somos or sao?

[Paulenrique]

'"Somos" is 1st plural form (present tense) "somos amigos" (we're friends). "São" is 2nd (informal)and 3rd plural form (present tense) "vocês são amigos?" = "are you(plural) friends?" -- "eles são amigos" = "they're friends"

[Jooby]

I would like to know something.
Which one (Eles/Elas) should I use if it's a mixed group. With both men and women.
In spanish, in those cases you just use "Ellos" even if it's a group composed by men and women.
¡¡Thank you for your answers!!

[Paulenrique]

like in spanish, we use that in the masculine. Actually, that happens to any group male+female (cachorros = male dogs / group of male+female dogs, cachorras = group of female dogs).

[Jooby]

Yes I know.
However what I mean is which pronoun do I have to use in case it's a mixed group (composed by both women and men). Just Eles?

[Paulenrique]

yes, you use "eles"

[FrankEscud]

Why is elos som menions wrong?

[Paulenrique]

that ressembles Spanish, not Portuguese. PT = Eles são meninos / SP = Ellos son niños ;)