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Eu posso acender a luz agora.

Eu posso acender a luz agora.
I can turn on the light now.
FromLesson 8inHardcore Portuguese (Brazil)

Breakdown of Eu posso acender a luz agora.

eu
I
agora
now
poder
to be able to
a luz
the light
acender
to turn on
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Questions & Answers about Eu posso acender a luz agora.

What does the verb acender mean in this context?
Here, acender means “to switch on” or “to turn on” (literally “to light up”), so acender a luz is “to turn on the light.”
Why is the article a used before luz?
Portuguese generally uses a definite article before a specific noun. You say acender a luz (“turn on the light”) rather than acender luz.
Could I use ligar a luz instead of acender a luz?
Yes. In Brazilian Portuguese, ligar a luz and acender a luz are both common and interchangeable when talking about turning on a light.
Why is eu optional in Eu posso acender a luz agora?
Portuguese verbs are conjugated uniquely for each subject, so the pronoun eu (I) is often dropped. Posso acender a luz agora is perfectly natural.
Where can I place the adverb agora?

You can put agora in several spots:

  • Agora posso acender a luz.
  • Posso acender a luz agora.
  • Eu posso agora acender a luz.
    Ending the sentence with agora is most common.
What’s the difference between posso and consigo here?

Posso (from poder) asks for permission or indicates possibility (“May I?”).
Consigo (from conseguir) expresses ability (“Am I able to?”).
Since you’re asking “May I turn on the light now?”, posso is the right choice.

Is it correct to write ascender a luz with sc?
No. In Portuguese, the verb “to turn on” is spelled acender (with c). Ascender (with sc) is rare and means “to rise” or “to ascend” in a literary sense.
Do I need any prepositions with acender?
No. Acender is a transitive verb, so it directly takes its object: acender a luz. You don’t add prepositions like em or em/na here.