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Questions & Answers about Eu estudo no computador.
What does no represent in this sentence?
No is a contraction of the preposition em (meaning in, on, or at) and the masculine singular definite article o (meaning the). So no computador translates as at the computer or on the computer.
Why is the definite article used in no computador instead of just saying computador?
In Portuguese, common nouns almost always require an article. The noun computador is typically preceded by the definite article o to indicate a specific or generally accepted entity. Combining em and o yields no, making the sentence both grammatically correct and natural.
What is the subject of the sentence, and how does the verb estudo relate to it?
The subject is Eu, which means I. The verb estudo is the first-person singular present form of estudar (to study). This conjugation agrees with Eu, delivering the meaning I study.
What role does the phrase no computador play in the sentence?
The phrase no computador functions as an adverbial phrase indicating location. It tells us where the studying takes place—that is, the studying is done at/on the computer.
How would you rephrase the sentence to mean "I study at a computer" using an indefinite article?
To express the idea with an indefinite article, you would say: Eu estudo em um computador. Here, um means a or an, and since there is no contraction for em + um, the preposition remains separate from the article.