Breakdown of Eu vou visitar meu amigo na cidade.
eu
I
a cidade
the city
meu
my
o amigo
the friend
ir
to go
na
in the
visitar
to visit
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Questions & Answers about Eu vou visitar meu amigo na cidade.
What does "eu" mean in the sentence?
In Portuguese, "eu" is the first person singular pronoun, meaning "I".
How does "vou visitar" function in this sentence, and what does it translate to in English?
"Vou visitar" combines the present tense of "ir" (to go) with the infinitive "visitar" (to visit), forming a periphrastic future. This construction translates to "am going to visit", expressing an intention or near-future action.
What does "meu amigo" mean, and would there be any changes if referring to a female friend?
"Meu amigo" means "my friend", with "meu" being the masculine possessive adjective and "amigo" the masculine noun. If you were referring to a female friend, you would say "minha amiga", using the feminine forms for both the possessive (minha) and the noun (amiga).
How is the locative phrase "na cidade" formed, and what is its meaning?
The phrase "na cidade" means "in the city". It is formed by contracting the preposition "em" (in) and the feminine singular definite article "a" into "na". This contraction is a common feature in Portuguese.
Is it necessary to include the subject "eu" in such sentences, or can it be omitted?
In Portuguese, subject pronouns like "eu" can often be omitted because the verb conjugation already indicates the subject. However, including "eu" can add clarity or emphasis, especially in contexts where the subject might be ambiguous.
Does the verb construction "vou visitar" indicate a specific time frame for the visit?
While it does not specify an exact time, the construction "vou visitar" implies that the speaker has a near-future intention to visit. It conveys that the action is planned to occur soon.
How similar is the sentence structure of "Eu vou visitar meu amigo na cidade" compared to its English counterpart?
The structure is very similar. In English, you might say "I am going to visit my friend in the city," which also follows a subject – verb phrase – object – locative phrase order. This similarity makes it easier for English speakers to grasp the basic sentence structure in Portuguese.