Eu posso acender a luz agora.

I can turn on the light now.

Breakdown of Eu posso acender a luz agora.

• eu: I
• agora: now
• poder: to be able to
• a luz: the light

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?