Eu moro no segundo andar.

I live on the second floor.

Breakdown of Eu moro no segundo andar.

• eu: I
• morar: to live
• no: on the
• segundo: second
• o andar: the floor

Questions & Answers about Eu moro no segundo andar.

What does moro mean?

moro is the first‐person singular present tense of the verb morar, which means “to live” or “to reside.” So Eu moro… literally means “I live…”

Why use morar instead of viver here?

In Portuguese, morar is the common verb for “to live in/at a place” (e.g. a house, apartment, city). Viver more often means “to live” in the sense of being alive or to experience life. You can say Ele vive em São Paulo (“He lives in São Paulo”), but in everyday speech Brazilians typically use morar for residence.

Why can I drop the subject pronoun Eu and say just Moro no segundo andar?

Portuguese is a “pro‐drop” language: the verb ending (-o) already indicates the subject “I.” Native speakers often omit Eu unless they want emphasis or contrast. Both sentences are correct:

• Eu moro no segundo andar.
• Moro no segundo andar.

What is no doing before segundo andar?

No is the contraction of the preposition em + the masculine singular article o.

• em + o = no
  You need it because in Portuguese you usually say “in the [some place].” Here it literally means “in the second floor.”

Why is it segundo and not segunda, and why does it come before andar?

Segundo is an ordinal adjective meaning “second.” It must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Since andar (floor/story) is masculine singular, you use segundo (not segunda). In Portuguese, ordinals typically precede the noun:

• primeiro andar (first floor)
• segundo andar (second floor)
• terceiro andar (third floor)

Could I write 2º andar instead of spelling out segundo andar?

Yes. It’s very common in writing—on elevator buttons, building directories and addresses—to use the numeral plus the ordinal indicator:

• 2º andar
  When speaking, however, you would say segundo andar.

What’s the difference between andar, piso and pavimento?

• Andar is by far the most common word in Brazilian Portuguese for “floor” or “story.”
• Piso can mean “floor” as in the surface (tile, wood) or, in architecture, a level of a building, but it’s less frequent for everyday speech about where you live.
• Pavimento is more formal or technical (used in engineering/architecture).
  If you’re talking about your home, always choose andar.

How does floor numbering in Brazil compare to English?

In Brazil many buildings have:

• Térreo (ground level, often marked “T”)
• 1º andar (first level above the ground)
• 2º andar (second level above the ground)

English systems vary:

• American English usually calls the ground level “1st floor,” so the Brazilian 2º andar would be the “3rd floor” in the U.S.
• British English calls the ground level “ground floor” and the next level “1st floor,” so the Brazilian 2º andar lines up with the British “2nd floor.”

However, for translation you can safely say I live on the second floor, and then clarify if your listener uses American or British conventions.