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Questions & Answers about Não, eu não quero comer hoje.
Why are there two não parts in the sentence?
In Portuguese, you often see the word não repeated when answering a question negatively. The first não is a direct answer to a yes/no question (like someone asking Você quer comer hoje?), while the second não goes with the verb phrase (não quero). It might feel repetitive to English speakers, but it's standard in Portuguese.
Do I need to use eu or can I just say não quero comer hoje?
Eu is the subject pronoun meaning I. Using it can make your statement clearer or emphasize I, but it's not strictly necessary in Portuguese. Saying Não quero comer hoje is fully acceptable and common in casual speech.
Why is quero used here instead of something like vou querer?
Quero is the present tense form of the verb querer (to want). It indicates a general, immediate desire: I do not want to eat today. If you said vou querer, it would be the near future tense (like I will want to eat), which wouldn’t typically be used to express a current preference.
Is there a difference between saying eu não quero comer hoje and eu não vou comer hoje?
Yes. Eu não quero comer hoje focuses on your desire (or lack thereof) to eat, implying I don't feel like eating today. Eu não vou comer hoje is more about a plan or decision, emphasizing I am not going to eat today. Both are correct but convey a slightly different nuance.
Any tips on pronouncing não in Brazilian Portuguese?
Não contains a nasal sound, indicated by the tilde (~). It’s pronounced something like nah-oon, but all as one syllable with a nasal vowel. Try to keep the air flowing through your nose at the end of the sound. Practicing nasal vowels is key to sounding natural in Brazilian Portuguese.
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