Breakdown of No inverno, eu uso um casaco grosso para não sentir frio.
eu
I
não
not
um
a
frio
cold
para
to
o casaco
the coat
usar
to wear
sentir
to feel
no
in the
o inverno
the winter
grosso
thick
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Questions & Answers about No inverno, eu uso um casaco grosso para não sentir frio.
What does no in No inverno stand for, and why can’t we say just em inverno?
No is a contraction of the preposition em + the masculine singular definite article o (em + o = no). In Portuguese, seasons normally take a definite article, so no inverno literally means “in the winter.” Saying just em inverno without the article sounds incomplete.
Is eu really necessary in eu uso um casaco grosso? Why include it?
Portuguese verb endings already mark the subject, so you can drop eu and simply say Uso um casaco grosso…. The pronoun eu is optional and is used here for emphasis or clarity.
Why do we say um casaco grosso instead of o casaco grosso or leaving out the article entirely?
- Um is the indefinite article “a/an,” indicating any thick coat.
- O would mean “the coat,” i.e. a specific one you both know.
- Standard Portuguese usually requires an article before singular count nouns, so omitting it (Uso casaco grosso) is colloquial but not recommended in formal writing.
Why is the adjective grosso placed after casaco, and what nuance does it add?
In Portuguese, descriptive adjectives normally follow the noun. Casaco grosso means “thick coat” (one made of heavy or insulating material). Placing the adjective first (grosso casaco) would sound poetic or marked.
What function does para não sentir frio serve, and why use para + infinitive?
Para + infinitive expresses purpose (“in order to”). Here it tells us why you wear the coat: para não sentir frio = “so that I don’t feel cold.”
Why isn’t there a reflexive pronoun, like me, in sentir frio?
Physical sensations such as feeling cold use sentir frio without a reflexive pronoun. Adding me (sentir-me frio) would sound odd, because you’re not “feeling yourself cold,” you’re simply experiencing cold.
Could we say para que eu não sinta frio instead of para não sentir frio?
Yes. Para que eu não sinta frio uses para que + subjunctive (sinta) and is more formal or emphatic. When the subject of both verbs is the same, Brazilians often prefer the shorter para + infinitive (para não sentir frio) in everyday speech.
Is sentir frio the same as ter frio or passar frio?
- Ter frio (“to have cold”) is the most common way to say “to feel cold.”
- Passar frio (“to go through cold”) means “to be cold” or “to suffer from the cold.”
- Sentir frio is correct but slightly more literal or formal; you’ll hear ter frio more often in casual conversation.
Could I rearrange the sentence as Eu uso um casaco grosso no inverno para não sentir frio?
Absolutely. Portuguese word order is flexible. Starting with No inverno emphasizes the time, but you can move that phrase elsewhere without changing the meaning.
What’s the difference between um casaco grosso and um casaco pesado?
- Grosso highlights thickness and insulation (“thick” or “bulky”).
- Pesado focuses on physical weight (“heavy”).
A coat can be grosso without being pesado if it’s made of lightweight insulating materials.