Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Portuguese grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Eu quero comprar uma chave nova.
Why is uma used instead of um?
Because chave is a feminine noun in Portuguese. Feminine nouns take the indefinite article uma, while masculine ones take um.
Why is nova used instead of novo?
Since chave is feminine, the adjective following it also needs to agree in gender. That’s why nova is used (feminine form), rather than novo (masculine form).
Do I need to use Eu at the beginning, or can I just say Quero comprar uma chave nova?
You can omit Eu because in Portuguese the subject is often understood from the verb’s ending. However, saying Eu quero comprar... is perfectly fine and sometimes adds emphasis.
Why do we say quero comprar instead of just quero?
Quero alone only means "I want". Including comprar (to buy) clarifies exactly what you want to do, forming the full expression "I want to buy".
Why isn’t it uma nova chave instead of uma chave nova?
In Portuguese, adjectives commonly come after the noun, especially when describing a physical characteristic like "new". Saying uma chave nova is more natural, though uma nova chave is also possible in certain contexts, often implying a slightly different emphasis.
Your questions are stored by us to improve Elon.io
You've reached your AI usage limit
Sign up to increase your limit.