Nós vamos comprar fruta no mercado.

to buy

Breakdown of Nós vamos comprar fruta no mercado.

• nós: we
• o mercado: the market
• fruta: fruit
• ir: to go to

Questions & Answers about Nós vamos comprar fruta no mercado.

Why do we use nós vamos instead of simply vamos?

The word nós explicitly states that the subject is “we,” while vamos on its own also means “we go” or “we are going,” but omitting nós. In spoken Brazilian Portuguese, people often use just vamos (or vamo in more informal speech) without the pronoun, but including nós is also correct and can add clarity or emphasis.

What is the difference between fruta and frutas?

Fruta is singular and refers to one piece or type of fruit, while frutas is plural, referring to multiple types or pieces of fruit. In this sentence, fruta is used as a general statement about buying fruit in general, not specifying the quantity or variety.

Why is it no mercado instead of something else like em mercado?

No mercado combines em (in/at) with the masculine definite article o, becoming no. Literally, it’s “in the market.” Saying em mercado without the article would sound unnatural in Portuguese when referring to a specific or understood location, so no mercado is the correct form.

Is it common to say nós vamos comprar instead of something like vamos comprar or a gente vai comprar?

Yes. Nós vamos comprar is perfectly correct and standard. However, you will hear a gente vai comprar a lot in everyday Brazilian Portuguese, since a gente (literally “the people”) is widely used to mean “we” in informal contexts. Vamos comprar is also understandable; it simply omits the pronoun.

Can mercado also mean “supermarket,” or does it strictly mean “market” in the sense of an open street market?

In Brazilian Portuguese, mercado can refer to any place where you shop for groceries—this includes supermarkets, smaller grocery stores, or traditional open-air markets. Context usually makes it clear which “market” is meant.