Arguments

Agent, Amount, Source · the person and a reason are unprinted on the subtract lines · working claim, revisable

Voice[Agent] + Amount (direct object) + Source (de + NP · a + NP of the whole on one descontar line)

Person = a + NP or lhe · unprinted on the salary and tax lines · Reason = por / para · unprinted beside the amount and the source

A deduction, on this reading, takes an amount off a source or a whole. The agent is the subject, when a clause names one. The amount is the direct object. Portuguese nouns have no case ending, so that object is not a morphological accusative. The source of a salary, a payment, a rent, or a sum is de. Infopédia also prints the whole with a, in descontar isso ao valor da venda. ao is a fused with the masculine article. That a is the whole, not a person. deduzir’s subtract lines print de and do not print that a. No dictionary opened here prints an affected person as a + NP or as lhe on a salary or tax line, and none prints por or para as a reason beside the amount and the source. The drawing leaves those two places empty. It is revisable.

What is different from English deduct X from Y. Cambridge’s verb sense is to take away an amount or part from a total. The printed lines use one from: points deducted from his score, Money is deducted from your account, Employers deduct the tax from employee salaries, and the business frame deduct sth from sth in The company deducts $31.93 each week from my salary for health insurance. English does not spell that whole as to. Portuguese descontar does, once, in the Infopédia usage block: the amount isso is the direct object, and the whole is ao valor da venda. The same block’s passive keeps de, descontado do meu ordenado. deduzir’s printed subtract lines use only de. Cambridge’s for health insurance is a reason beside from. A por or para of that kind is unprinted on the Portuguese subtract clauses opened here. A dative person is not English from, and it is unprinted on those clauses.

Places · who wears which marking

The printed subtract clauses each leave the person out, and they leave por and para of a reason out. de of a salary or a payment is the usual source. One Infopédia line uses a of the whole instead. em is printed, and it is not that source.

Printed Amount · direct object · Source de · no person

✓ Não descontaram dos salários os dias de greve. Aulete · descontar · sense 1 · label tdr. + de

✓ A patroa resolveu descontar do salário os dias em que a empregada faltara ao trabalho. Michaelis · descontar · Abater, deduzir, tirar de uma conta ou quantidade

✓ A empresa descontava de seu salário um valor fixo por mês até findar o empréstimo. Michaelis · Abater do valor nominal · por mês is the rate

✓ O vale foi descontado do meu ordenado. Infopédia · descontar · the amount is the subject of the passive · de stays

✓ Deduziu do pagamento o valor das passagens. · deduzir os impostos Aulete · deduzir · sense 2 · Subtrair; abater

✓ Vão deduzir do ordenado o valor dos prejuízos causados. Infopédia · deduzir · de before the amount

✓ O procurador deduziu das rendas as despesas da cobrança. Aulete · deduzir · older block

They did not deduct the strike days from the wages · she deducted the missed days from the wage · the firm deducted a fixed sum from his salary each month · the voucher was deducted from my pay · he deducted the fare from the payment · to deduct the taxes · they are going to deduct the amount of the losses from the pay · the attorney deducted the collection costs from the income · the sum is the direct object · the wage, the payment, or the income is de

Printed whole · a · Amount direct object · descontar only

✓ Vou descontar isso ao valor da venda. Infopédia · descontar · sense 1 glosses subtrair a uma quantidade ou a um todo · ao is a + o

I am going to deduct that from the sale price · the amount is isso · the whole is a, not a person

Printed em · not the salary source

✓ Descontam em dinheiro as faltas ao trabalho. Infopédia · em dinheiro is the medium · as faltas is the direct object · ao trabalho belongs to faltas

✓ Descontava nos amigos o insucesso amoroso. Aulete · sense 4 · familiar · Desforrar-se; REVIDAR · label tdr. + em

✓ Márcio foi ao bar e descontou tudo na cachaça. English Wiktionary · descontar · to take it out, with em

They deduct absences in cash · he took the romantic failure out on his friends · he took it all out on the liquor · em is the medium, or the person or thing one takes it out on · it is not do salário

Places of Portuguese descontar and deduzir: introducer, marking, status, English marking
PlaceIntroduced by (working)Portuguese markingStatus in the sourcesEnglish marking
AgentSpec,VoicesubjectA patroa · A empresa · Vou · Deduziu · Vão · O procurador · omitted in Não descontaram and in the infinitive deduzir os impostossubject of deduct · Employers · The company
Amountcomplement of the rootdirect objectAulete os dias de greve · o valor · os impostos · as despesas · Michaelis os dias · um valor fixo · Infopédia isso · o vale · o valor dos prejuízos · passive promotes this objectobject of deduct · points · Money · the tax · $31.93
Source / wholethe sum the amount is taken fromde + NP · a + NP on one descontar linedos salários · do salário · de seu salário · do ordenado · do pagamento · das rendas · da parcela · da soma · Infopédia ao valor da venda · Wikcionário names de for deduzir and prints no clause · em is the medium or the retaliate senseone from · from his score · from your account · from employee salaries · from my salary
Affected personthe person whose money is reduceda + NP or lhe · unprinted on the subtract linesno salary or tax line prints a of a person or lhe · the one lhe is older Aulete, figurative, se lhe descontar o influxo · Aulete me in the Azevedo line belongs to devernot a separate place in deduct X from Y · the salary can be the from-phrase
Reason / purposewhy the amount is takenpor / para · unprinted on the subtract frameMichaelis por mês is a rate · Aulete isso é para descontar is the copula · Infopédia para fins tributários is the definition, no clause · Aulete Pelo horário is the ground of an inferencefor health insurance beside from my salary · Cambridge business

Marking map. Read the direct object as the amount. Then read de as the salary or the payment, and the one Infopédia a as the whole. Do not read em as that source.

EN ⇄ PT valency strip

Each row lines up one English slot with a Portuguese slot. The alignment type says what happens to the slot: = (same object status), or shift (English from ↔ Portuguese a of the whole). Printed lines come first. Every other Portuguese sentence is constructed, modelled on a printed line. They show the working alignment. They are not frequency, and not a bilingual corpus.

English–Portuguese valency alignment for deduct / descontar / deduzir, one row per argument
SlotEN formPT formAlignEN examplePT example
AgentSUBJsubject=Employers deduct the tax CambridgeA patroa · A empresa · O procurador Michaelis · Aulete
Amountobjectdirect object=the tax · $31.93 · points Cambridgeos dias de greve · um valor fixo · isso · os impostos Aulete · Michaelis · Infopédia
Sourcefrom + NPde + NP= of the oblique rolefrom employee salaries · from my salary · from his score Cambridgedos salários · do salário · do ordenado · do pagamento · das rendas Aulete · Michaelis · Infopédia
Wholefrom + NPa + NPshift · one Infopédia descontar line · English has no to of the wholefrom a total Cambridge · the definitionao valor da venda Infopédia
Personinside from, if named at alla / lhe unprinted on the subtract linesthe printed lhe is another sensefrom my salary Cambridgese lhe descontar o influxo Aulete older · not-count
Reasonfor + NPpor / para unprinted on the subtract frameEnglish prints for beside from · Portuguese prints neither por nor para therefor health insurance Cambridge businesspor mês is a rate Michaelis · Pelo horário is an inference Aulete

The strip below is a set of small multiples. Each card holds one frame, with English on top and Portuguese under it. The subject chip is the party the clause actually makes the subject.

EN · PT · amount and de

dos salários · do ordenado

Employers deduct the tax from employee salaries. The company deducts $31.93 each week from my salary for health insurance.

Não descontaram dos salários os dias de greve. Vão deduzir do ordenado o valor dos prejuízos causados.

PT · Aulete · Infopédia · EN · Cambridge · from · the Portuguese lines have no person and no por of a reason

RolesHide roles AgentAmountSource
Agent Employers · The company · the subject of descontaram and of Vão Amount the tax · $31.93 · os dias de greve · o valor Source from employee salaries · from my salary · dos salários · do ordenado

Agree The amount is the object. de is the wage, as English from is. Cambridge’s for health insurance has no twin in these clauses.

EN · PT · the whole with a

isso · ao valor da venda

to take away an amount or part from a total

Vou descontar isso ao valor da venda.

PT · Infopédia · EN · Cambridge · the definition’s from · descontar only

RolesHide roles AgentAmountWhole
Agent the subject of Vou Amount an amount or part · isso Whole from a total · ao valor da venda

Move English marks the whole with from. This line marks it with a. The phrase is the sale price, not a person.

EN · PT · deduzir and de

do pagamento · das rendas

Money is deducted from your account.

Deduziu do pagamento o valor das passagens. O procurador deduziu das rendas as despesas da cobrança.

PT · Aulete · EN · Cambridge · no a of the whole on these lines

RolesHide roles AgentAmountSource
Agent the subject of Deduziu · O procurador Amount Money · o valor das passagens · as despesas Source from your account · do pagamento · das rendas

Agree deduzir on the subtract reading uses de, as English uses from. The Infopédia a is not on these lines.

PT · em · another reading

nos amigos · na cachaça

deduct X from Y

Descontava nos amigos o insucesso amoroso. Márcio foi ao bar e descontou tudo na cachaça.

Aulete sense 4 · English Wiktionary · retaliate · not the wage

RolesHide roles What is taken outem
Object o insucesso · tudo em nos amigos · na cachaça

Move English from is not this em. The clause takes a grievance out on someone or something. It does not take a sum off a salary.

Examples

Argument difference. English deduct X from Y marks Y with from, and the business entry can add for of a reason in the same clause. Portuguese prints X as the direct object and Y as de on the salary and tax lines. One Infopédia line of descontar marks that whole with a. em is a medium or a retaliate phrase. lhe of a person, and por or para of a reason, are unprinted on the subtract lines.

Dictionary frames and lines · checked · quoted as printed

Deduzir, abater · Trocar com desconto · Não meter em conta; prescindir Priberam · descontar · transitive · no clause

Fazer dedução; descontar · Inferir · Enumerar (em dedução) · Direito · Propor em juízo Priberam · deduzir · transitive · no clause

Vou descontar isso ao valor da venda. · O vale foi descontado do meu ordenado. · Descontam em dinheiro as faltas ao trabalho. Infopédia · Porto Editora · descontar · a of the whole · de of the pay · em of the medium

Vão deduzir do ordenado o valor dos prejuízos causados. Infopédia · deduzir · de · no person · no por

[tdr. + de : Não descontaram dos salários os dias de greve.] · [td. : …mas isso é para descontar o que me deve aquele sujeito.] · [tdr. + em : Descontava nos amigos o insucesso amoroso.] · [tdr. + de : descontar o valor anteriormente pago da parcela a pagar.] Aulete · descontar · the brackets are the entry’s · para belongs to é · me belongs to dever

[tdr. : Deduziu do pagamento o valor das passagens.] · [td. : deduzir os impostos.] · [td. : Pelo horário, deduzi que não viriam mais.] · [tdr. : Você deduziu o mesmo que eu da conversa?] Aulete · deduzir · subtract, then infer · Pelo and da conversa are the inference

se não se lhe descontar o influxo das imperiosas convenções da Renascença Aulete older · not-count · the only lhe opened here

O chefe descontou os dias em que esteve ausente. · A patroa resolveu descontar do salário os dias… · A empresa descontava de seu salário um valor fixo por mês… · Os bancos não estão descontando este mês. · É preciso descontar suas pequenas imperfeições. · Descontou em seguida o xingamento que recebera. Michaelis · descontar · por mês is a rate · the banks are intransitive · the imperfections and the insult are other senses

Tirar conclusão por meio de raciocínio · Reduzir valor, intensidade ou altura · Enumerar minuciosamente · Agrupar em coleção · Fazer proposição a partir de fatos ordenados Michaelis · deduzir · labels · no clause

(prep. de) abater, descontar, diminuir, subtrair, tirar · (prep. de) concluir; inferir Wikcionário · deduzir · no clause · descontamos / descontámos on descontar is the 1pl perfect spelling

The player had points deducted from his score. · Money is deducted from your account. · Employers deduct the tax from employee salaries. · The company deducts $31.93 each week from my salary for health insurance. Cambridge · deduct · one from · for of the insurance

Strings below are constructed, modelled on the printed lines. They are not spontaneous-speech citations and not dictionary lines. Pat and Chris continue the named-participant series on English deduct. A name does not spell a role.

Constructed · the pieces are printed separately

✓ A Pat descontou o valor do salário do Chris. constructed · amount and de of a wage on Aulete dos salários and Michaelis do salário · the wage is the source · the name is inside it

✓ A Pat descontou isso ao valor da venda. constructed on the printed Infopédia line · the agent is named · a is the whole

✓ A Pat deduziu do pagamento o valor. constructed on Aulete Deduziu do pagamento o valor das passagens · no person

* A Pat descontou ao Chris o valor. constructed · a of a person · unprinted · the printed a is ao valor da venda

* A Pat descontou-lhe o salário. constructed · lhe on a wage · unprinted · the printed lhe is the not-count line

* A Pat descontou o valor do salário por atraso. constructed · por of a reason beside de · unprinted · Michaelis por mês is a rate

* A Pat deduziu o valor do ordenado para o imposto. constructed · para of a purpose beside the source · unprinted · Infopédia para fins tributários is the definition

Derivations · working sketches, revisable

Each sketch is a working drawing, not a locked analysis. The drawing gives the agent to Voice, the amount to the root, and the source to de, with the Infopédia whole under a on descontar. The person and the reason are not drawn in, because the subtract lines do not print them. Open one sketch at a time. Which theta role is the object is the revisable note Causative templates and argument selection. This page does not edit that note.

Voice · the agent is the external argument

The finite verb · one external argument

[TP A patroa
  [VoiceP  —  Voice                     ← Agent = Spec,Voice
    … descontar … ]]

✓ A patroa resolveu descontar do salário os dias em que a empregada faltara ao trabalho. Michaelis

The external argument is the one who subtracts. On the passive, Infopédia makes the amount the subject and keeps de: O vale foi descontado do meu ordenado. The older se descontaria likewise leaves the source as da soma. No line promotes the wage to subject.

Amount · Source de · whole a

One direct object · de on the wage and the tax · a of the whole on one line · unranked · working, revisable

[VoiceP descontaram Voice
  [VP √descont-
     [PP de [ os salários ]]            ← Aulete · tdr. + de
     [Amount os dias de greve ]]]       ← no person · no por

[VoiceP Vou Voice
  [VP √descont-
     [Amount isso ]
     [PP a [ o valor da venda ]]]]      ← Infopédia · ao = a + o
                                         ← the whole, not a person

[VoiceP Deduziu Voice
  [VP √deduz-
     [PP de [ o pagamento ]]            ← Aulete · deduzir
     [Amount o valor das passagens ]]]  ← de only on this verb’s
                                         subtract lines

The amount and the source are different phrases. descontar prints both de of a wage and a of a sale price. deduzir prints de of the payment, the pay, and the income. A bare second noun beside the amount, or a of a person, is unprinted on these lines.

✓ Não descontaram dos salários os dias de greve. Aulete

✓ Vou descontar isso ao valor da venda. Infopédia

* A Pat descontou-lhe o salário. constructed · lhe of a person on a wage · unprinted

em, the not-count lhe, the inference · not this frame

Separated · printed on other senses

[VoiceP Descontava Voice
  [VP √descont-
     [PP em [ os amigos ]]              ← Aulete sense 4
     [Amount o insucesso ]]]            ← retaliate · not do salário

[VoiceP deduzi Voice
  [VP √deduz-
     [PP por [ o horário ]]             ← Aulete sense 1 · pelo
     [CP que … ]]]                      ← inference · not a sum

The retaliate clause and the inference are real. They are not dos salários os dias de greve. The older lhe sits in the not-count sense. The subtract drawing above is not these frames.

✓ Descontava nos amigos o insucesso amoroso. Aulete · sense 4

✓ Pelo horário, deduzi que não viriam mais. Aulete · deduzir · infer

English counterpart · one from, and for

Working · Cambridge deduct

[VoiceP Employers Voice
  [VP √DEDUCT
     [Amount the tax ]
     [PP from [ employee salaries ]]]]  ← one from
                                         ← Portuguese de

[VoiceP The company Voice
  [VP √DEDUCT
     [Amount $31.93 ]
     [PP from [ my salary ]]
     [PP for [ health insurance ]]]]    ← Portuguese por / para
                                         unprinted on the subtract lines

[VoiceP Vou Voice
  [VP √descont-
     [Amount isso ]
     [PP a [ o valor da venda ]]]]      ← no English to of the whole

Cambridge’s from covers the score, the account, and the salary. Portuguese prints that salary as de, and prints one whole as a. Cambridge’s for health insurance has no printed por or para beside a Portuguese source phrase.

Notes

Working paper · October 2026 · Portuguese micro-entry · Beyond Index 2

descontar and deduzir on the subtract reading take an amount as a direct object off a source in de. One Infopédia line marks the whole with a. English deduct X from Y uses one from and does not spell that whole as to. A dative person and por / para of a reason are unprinted on the subtract lines. The cheque, the not-count reading, the retaliate em, and the inference stay off that stack, cited where a source prints them.

PT micro-entry live Beyond Index 2 a and de unranked on descontar ES descontar live FR déduire live

Sense × language: deduct · Portuguese (descontar / deduzir). The subtraction is the page. Discounting a cheque, leaving something out of account, taking it out on someone, and inferring stay off the source stack, cited where a source prints them. Geometry neighbors: Spanish descontar, Italian detrarre, Portuguese cobrar. Index 2 does not list descontar.

Open items

  • a against de on descontar. Infopédia prints ao valor da venda and do meu ordenado in one usage block and does not rank them. Aulete and Michaelis print de of the wage and do not print a of the whole. deduzir’s subtract lines print de. No ranking is added here.
  • European and Brazilian argument structure. No source opened here states a difference, by variety, in the source preposition. Infopédia, the European article, prints both a and de. Aulete and Michaelis, the Brazilian articles, print de for the wage and do not print a of the whole. Silence is not a variety rule. Wikcionário’s descontamos / descontámos note, repeated on the English Wiktionary, is the spelling of the 1pl perfect, not a frame split. The roubar note on steal · Portuguese is not transferred.
  • The person. Unprinted as a + NP and as lhe on a wage or a tax. The constructed descontou-lhe and descontou ao Chris are not grammatical claims. The printed lhe is the older not-count line.
  • por and para of a reason. Unprinted beside the amount and the source. The constructed por atraso and para o imposto are not grammatical claims. Printed por and para on these articles are a rate, a copula, definition prose, or the ground of an inference.
  • em. Printed, and not filed as the salary source. It is the medium, or the retaliate sense.
  • Michaelis deduzir. The article prints sense labels and no example clause. The subtract frame for that verb is the Aulete and Infopédia lines.
  • Unopened books. Houaiss, Aurélio, the Academia das Ciências dictionary, Luft’s Dicionário Prático de Regência Verbal, and 501 Portuguese Verbs. No Ciberdúvidas answer on the regency of descontar was located. No sentence is quoted from a source that was not opened.

Corpus filenames and sources checked

Dictionary frames: Priberam, Infopédia (Porto Editora), Michaelis, Aulete Digital, Wikcionário, and the English Wiktionary for descontar and deduzir. English: Cambridge deduct. Sibling frames: deduct, deduct-es, deduct-fr, deduct-it, and charge-fee-pt. Constructed clauses reuse a printed de or a with named participants. Index 2 does not list descontar.

Records descontar and deduzir as a subtraction with the amount in the direct object and the source under de, and records one whole under a. English from is the single preposition of that whole. The person and a reason in por or para are unprinted on the subtract lines.