Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Portuguese grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Cada dia eu estudo português.
What does cada dia mean and how does it differ from todo dia or todos os dias?
cada dia literally means each day and is used to indicate a daily habit. In Brazilian Portuguese:
- todo dia (“every day”) is very colloquial/frequent.
- todos os dias (“all the days”) is slightly more formal or written.
They all mean roughly the same, with only minor stylistic or register differences.
Why is dia singular after cada?
The determiner cada always takes a singular noun. You say cada dia, cada semana, cada pessoa, never cada dias.
Is the subject pronoun eu necessary in this sentence?
No, Portuguese is a “pro-drop” language: the verb conjugation estudo already tells you the subject is eu. You can say Cada dia estudo português or Estudo português cada dia without eu. Including eu adds emphasis or clarity.
Why is the verb estudo used instead of the infinitive estudar?
In Portuguese you must conjugate verbs according to person and tense. Estudo is the first-person singular present indicative form of estudar (“to study”). The infinitive estudar can’t stand alone as the main verb without being conjugated.
Why use the simple present tense (eu estudo) instead of a continuous form like eu estou estudando?
Portuguese often uses the simple present to express habitual actions (“I study every day”). Estar + gerúndio (e.g., estou estudando) emphasizes an ongoing action right now, not a repeated habit. You could say Estou estudando português to mean “I am (currently) studying Portuguese,” but you’d lose the idea of “every day.”
Why is there no article before português? Could we say o português?
When talking about learning or speaking a language in general, Portuguese often omits the article: Estudo português. You can include it (especially when specifying a dialect or subject): Estudo o português brasileiro (“I study Brazilian Portuguese”). But in simple statements of language study, the article is usually dropped.
Why isn't português capitalized in this sentence?
In Portuguese, names of languages are common nouns, not proper nouns, so they’re written in lowercase (português, inglês, espanhol). Nationalities/adjectives (e.g., brasileiro) are also lowercase.
Can I change the word order? For example, Eu estudo português todo dia?
Yes. Portuguese is flexible with adverbials of frequency. You can say:
- Eu estudo português cada dia.
- Estudo português todo dia.
- Todo dia eu estudo português.
The most natural in Brazil is Eu estudo português todo dia or Eu estudo português todos os dias, but all variations are grammatically correct.
Could I say diariamente instead of cada dia?
Yes. Diariamente means “daily/each day.” You could say Diariamente eu estudo português or more commonly Estudo português diariamente. It’s a bit more formal than todo dia.
Why not say em cada dia eu estudo português? Is em necessary?
You don’t need em here. Cada dia on its own functions as an adverbial phrase of time. Adding em (em cada dia) isn’t wrong but feels redundant or overly literal; native speakers usually drop em.