Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil): Geralmente eu chego cedo, mas hoje estou atrasado porque o relógio não funciona. - Usually I arrive early, but today I am late because the clock doesn’t work.

The difference is mainly in rhythm and emphasis, not meaning. Putting geralmente at the very beginning slightly emphasizes the idea of “in general / as a rule.”

Why do we say eu chego if the verb ending already shows the subject? Could we drop eu?

Yes, you can absolutely drop eu:

Geralmente chego cedo…

In Portuguese, the verb ending in chego already tells us the subject is eu (1st person singular). Portuguese is a “pro‑drop” language, so subject pronouns are often omitted when the meaning is clear.

We include eu to give a bit more emphasis or clarity (especially in speech), but grammatically it’s not required in this sentence.

Why is it chego cedo and not something like chego cedo geralmente or chego mais cedo?

Chego cedo = I arrive early.
- Cedo is an adverb meaning early.
- It usually comes right after the verb: chego cedo, acordo cedo, etc.

You can say chego cedo geralmente (see previous answer), but it’s less common than putting geralmente before or between subject and verb.

Mais cedo means earlier or earlier than usual / earlier than someone else:

Hoje cheguei mais cedo. = Today I arrived earlier.

In the provided sentence, the idea is a general habit (I usually arrive early), not a comparison, so cedo (not mais cedo) is perfect.

Why is it eu chego (simple present) and not something like estou chegando to talk about a habit?

Portuguese uses the simple present (presente do indicativo) to express:

general truths
routines
habits

So eu chego cedo = I arrive early (as a habit), just like in English: I usually arrive early.

Estou chegando is the present progressive/continuous and describes an action that is happening right now:

Estou chegando. = I am arriving (right now, I’m on my way).

For habits, you use chego, not estou chegando.

Why is it mas and not porém or mas hoje instead of só que hoje? Are they interchangeable?

Mas is the most common everyday word for but:

Geralmente eu chego cedo, mas hoje estou atrasado…

Alternatives:

Porém – also means but / however, but it’s more formal or written‑sounding:
- Geralmente eu chego cedo, porém hoje estou atrasado…
Só que – very common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese, slightly more informal/colloquial:
- Geralmente eu chego cedo, só que hoje estou atrasado…

All three connect contrasting ideas, but mas is the most neutral and frequent in speech and writing.

Why is it estou atrasado and not sou atrasado? What’s the difference?

Portuguese uses:

estar for temporary states / conditions
ser for permanent or defining characteristics

Here, being late is a temporary situation:

Hoje estou atrasado. = Today I am late.

If you said:

Sou atrasado.

that would mean something like I’m (a) tardy person / I’m habitually late, describing your general character, not just today’s situation. The sentence is only about today, so estou atrasado is correct.

Does atrasado change with gender and number? What would a woman say?

Yes, atrasado is an adjective and agrees with the subject:

Man speaking: Estou atrasado.
Woman speaking: Estou atrasada.
Group of men or mixed group: Estamos atrasados.
Group of only women: Estamos atrasadas.

In your sentence, if the speaker is female, it should be:

…mas hoje estou atrasada porque o relógio não funciona.

Why is it porque (one word) and not por que (two words) in this sentence?

Portuguese has four forms: porque, por que, porquê, por quê. In your sentence:

…estou atrasado porque o relógio não funciona.

Here, porque is a conjunction meaning because — it introduces the reason. That’s exactly the situation where you use one‑word porque.

Basic guide:

porque = because (answer / reason)
- Estou atrasado porque o relógio não funciona.
por que = why or for what (in questions or some relative clauses)
- Por que você está atrasado? = Why are you late?
porquê = the reason (a noun, usually with an article)
- Não entendo o porquê. = I don’t understand the reason.
por quê = por que at the end of a sentence
- Você está atrasado por quê? = Why are you late?

Why is it o relógio and not meu relógio if in English we’d probably say “my clock/watch”?

In Portuguese, it’s very common to use the definite article (o, a, os, as) where English uses a possessive:

O relógio não funciona.
Lit.: The clock doesn’t work.
Natural meaning in context: My clock/watch doesn’t work.

Portuguese speakers often rely on context to know whose object it is:

Escovei os dentes. = I brushed my teeth. (literally “the teeth”)
Lavei as mãos. = I washed my hands.

So o relógio can easily mean my clock/watch if we’re talking about the speaker’s situation.

Could we say meu relógio não funciona instead of o relógio não funciona? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say:

…porque meu relógio não funciona.

Both are correct. Nuance:

O relógio não funciona.
– Default, neutral; context usually makes it clear whose clock it is.
Meu relógio não funciona.
– Explicitly highlights that it’s my clock. You add emphasis to possession.

In everyday speech, both versions sound natural. Many speakers would prefer meu relógio if they want to be crystal clear or to stress that it’s their own device causing the problem.

Why is it não funciona and not não está funcionando? Do they mean the same thing?

Both are possible, with a slight difference in nuance:

O relógio não funciona.
- Simple present, often used for a general or ongoing state:
  - The clock doesn’t work / is broken (in general).
O relógio não está funcionando.
- Present continuous, more like is not working right now; might or might not be temporary.

In context (being late), não funciona suggests the clock is simply not reliable or is broken as a general fact. Não está funcionando can imply a current malfunction, possibly fixable. In casual speech, both are common; the original is just a bit more concise and general.

Does relógio mean “clock” or “watch” in Brazilian Portuguese?

Relógio is a general word that can mean both clock and watch. The specific type is usually clear from context:

relógio de pulso = wristwatch
relógio de parede = wall clock
relógio de mesa = table clock
relógio despertador = alarm clock

In everyday conversation, people often just say o relógio and the listener infers the type (often the wristwatch or alarm clock).

Is there any pronunciation tip for geralmente and relógio that English speakers often get wrong?

A few key points:

geralmente
- ge = /ʒe/ (like the s in measure
  - eh): ʒe‑ral‑men‑te
- Stress is on -men-: ge‑ral‑MEN‑te.
relógio
- lh in relógio is actually lh in spelling? No: it’s g
  - i
    - o, but note:
      - gi = /ʒi/ (again, like measure
        ee): re‑ló‑ʒi‑o
- ó is stressed and open, like the o in off: re‑LÓ‑ʒi‑o.
- The final -io is usually pronounced in 3 syllables: re‑LÓ‑ʒi‑o (not “re-LO-joe”).

Also, ão in não is nasal: it’s not exactly like now; your tongue is low and middle, and air goes through your nose: /nɐ̃w̃/.