Breakdown of Eu geralmente estudo na biblioteca depois do trabalho.
Questions & Answers about Eu geralmente estudo na biblioteca depois do trabalho.
In Brazilian Portuguese, adverbs like geralmente (generally / usually) are flexible in position, though some positions are more natural.
All of these are grammatically correct:
- Eu geralmente estudo na biblioteca.
- Eu estudo geralmente na biblioteca.
- Geralmente, eu estudo na biblioteca.
Differences:
- Eu geralmente estudo… – most common; the adverb comes before the verb.
- Geralmente, eu estudo… – also very common, especially in writing or when you want to emphasize “generally”.
- Eu estudo geralmente… – possible, but sounds a bit less natural in everyday speech.
So the position isn’t completely fixed, but (subject) + geralmente + verb is a very standard pattern.
You can absolutely drop Eu:
- Geralmente estudo na biblioteca depois do trabalho.
Portuguese is a pro-drop language: the verb ending (estudo) already shows the subject (1st person singular), so the pronoun is often omitted, especially in speech.
Use Eu when you want to:
- Emphasize I, as opposed to someone else:
- Eu estudo na biblioteca, ele estuda em casa.
- Make the subject very clear in a complex sentence.
Otherwise, omitting Eu is completely natural.
Na is a contraction:
- na = em + a (in/at + the, feminine singular)
So:
- em + a biblioteca → na biblioteca = in/at the library
In natural Portuguese, you almost always contract these:
- em + o → no (in/at the, masculine singular)
- em + a → na
- em + os → nos
- em + as → nas
Em a biblioteca sounds wrong and ungrammatical in modern Portuguese. Use na biblioteca.
The choice depends on the meaning:
na biblioteca = in / at the library (location)
- Eu estudo na biblioteca. – I study in the library.
à biblioteca (a + a biblioteca) = to the library (direction, movement)
- Eu vou à biblioteca. – I go to the library.
In your sentence, you’re talking about where you study (location), not where you go, so na biblioteca is correct.
In Portuguese, depois usually needs a preposition when followed by a noun:
- depois de + [noun / phrase]
Since trabalho (work) takes a definite article here:
- depois de + o trabalho → depois do trabalho
(do = de + o)
Depois trabalho would be incorrect; you need the preposition de plus the article o, which contract to do.
So depois do trabalho literally means after the work → “after work”.
Use them differently:
Depois alone – adverb, usually stands by itself or before a clause:
- Eu trabalho. Depois, eu estudo. – I work. Afterward, I study.
Depois de – preposition + de, used before a noun, pronoun, or verb in the infinitive:
- depois do trabalho – after work
- depois de estudar – after studying
- depois de você – after you
In your sentence, depois is followed by a noun (trabalho), so you need depois de → depois do trabalho.
Do is a contraction:
- do = de + o (of/from + the, masculine singular)
In context:
- depois de o trabalho → depois do trabalho
Literally: after of the work, which in natural English is simply after work or after my job.
Common de + article contractions:
- de + o → do
- de + a → da
- de + os → dos
- de + as → das
In Portuguese, nouns have grammatical gender that you usually have to learn with the word:
- o trabalho (masculine) → “the work / the job”
- a biblioteca (feminine) → “the library”
Some patterns help:
- Many nouns ending in -o are masculine: o carro, o livro, o trabalho.
- Many nouns ending in -a are feminine: a casa, a mesa, a biblioteca.
The articles and prepositions agree with the noun:
- na biblioteca → em + a biblioteca
- do trabalho → de + o trabalho
Yes. Portuguese simple present covers both:
- habitual actions (what you usually/regularly do)
- general truths
So:
- Eu geralmente estudo na biblioteca.
= I usually study at the library.
You don’t need a separate form like English “do / does”.
If you wanted to emphasize an ongoing action right now, you’d use the progressive:
- Eu estou estudando na biblioteca. – I am studying at the library (right now).
But for routines and habits, simple present (estudo) is the normal choice.
Yes, that’s perfectly correct and natural:
- Depois do trabalho, eu geralmente estudo na biblioteca.
Word order is fairly flexible for time expressions:
- Eu geralmente estudo na biblioteca depois do trabalho.
- Depois do trabalho, eu geralmente estudo na biblioteca.
- Eu, depois do trabalho, geralmente estudo na biblioteca. (more formal / written style)
The differences are mainly emphasis and style, not grammar. Putting Depois do trabalho first emphasizes the time frame.
Yes, you can say:
- Depois de trabalhar, eu geralmente estudo na biblioteca.
Both are correct, but there’s a nuance:
depois do trabalho – after (my) work / after my workday or shift
- Focus on the event / period of work as a thing.
depois de trabalhar – after working
- Focus on the activity of working.
In many contexts they’re interchangeable and both will be understood as “after work”, but depois do trabalho sounds a bit more like “after my job / after my shift”.
Yes, many adverbs of frequency can go in the same position:
- Eu sempre estudo na biblioteca… – I always study…
- Eu normalmente estudo na biblioteca… – I normally study…
- Eu frequentemente estudo na biblioteca… – I frequently study…
- Eu às vezes estudo na biblioteca… – I sometimes study…
- Eu raramente estudo na biblioteca… – I rarely study…
Geralmente and normalmente are very common, both meaning “usually / generally / normally”.