Questions & Answers about Dei um pequeno passo.
What does dei mean here, and what verb does it come from?
Dei is the first-person singular form of the verb dar in the simple past (also called the preterite).
- dar = to give
- dei = I gave
In the expression dar um passo, Portuguese uses dar where English usually says take a step.
This verb is irregular, so dei does not look very much like dar.
Why is there no eu in the sentence?
Portuguese often leaves out subject pronouns when the verb form already makes the subject clear.
So:
- Dei um pequeno passo.
- Eu dei um pequeno passo.
Both are correct. The version without eu is very natural and common.
Because dei can only mean I gave, the subject is already obvious.
What tense is dei?
Dei is in the preterite, which is used for a completed action in the past.
So Dei um pequeno passo presents the action as one finished event: I took/made one small step.
Compare:
- Dei um pequeno passo. = completed action
- Dava pequenos passos. = I used to take small steps / I was taking small steps
So here the speaker is referring to one specific step or one completed act.