Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil): O carregador foi colocado na tomada da cozinha, mas não funciona bem. - The charger was put in the kitchen outlet, but it doesn’t work well.

In Brazilian Portuguese, carregador most commonly means a charger (especially a phone/laptop charger). Depending on context it can also mean things like a loader (machine part) or even a magazine (for a gun), but in everyday situations with tomada (outlet), it strongly points to charger.

Why does it say foi colocado instead of a simple active form like colocaram?

foi colocado is a passive voice construction: ser + past participle. It means was placed/was put and focuses on the charger, not on who did it.
If you wanted the active, you could say:

(Eles) colocaram o carregador na tomada da cozinha, mas não funciona bem. = They put the charger...

How is the passive formed in Portuguese in this sentence?

It’s ser (to be) + participle:

foi = past (preterite) of ser for ele (it)
colocado = past participle of colocar (to place/put)

So: foi colocado = was placed.

Why is it colocado and not colocada?

The participle agrees with the subject o carregador (masculine singular), so it must be colocado.
Examples of agreement:

O carregador foi colocado (masc. sg.)
A tomada foi colocada (fem. sg.)
Os carregadores foram colocados (masc. pl.)
As tomadas foram colocadas (fem. pl.)

What does na tomada mean exactly, and why na?

na is a contraction of em + a:

em = in/on/at
a = the (feminine singular)

tomada is feminine (a tomada), so:

em a tomada → na tomada

Meaning: in the outlet / into the socket / plugged into the outlet (natural translation depends on context).

What is tomada in Brazilian Portuguese?

tomada means an electrical outlet / power socket.
It can also mean taking in other contexts (from tomar), but with carregador it clearly means the electrical outlet.

Why is it da cozinha and not de cozinha?

da is a contraction of de + a:

de = of/from
a = the (feminine singular)

So da cozinha = of the kitchen → the kitchen’s (as in the kitchen outlet).
tomada de cozinha would sound more like an outlet for kitchen use (more generic/category-like), not specifically the outlet in the kitchen.

Does tomada da cozinha mean “the kitchen outlet” or “the outlet of the kitchen”? Which sounds more natural?

In English you’d normally say the outlet in the kitchen or the kitchen outlet. Portuguese uses tomada da cozinha very naturally to mean the outlet in the kitchen (the outlet that’s located there).

Why is there a comma before mas?

In Portuguese, it’s common (and usually recommended) to use a comma before mas when it connects two clauses, especially when the subject changes or there’s a clear contrast:

Clause 1: O carregador foi colocado...
Clause 2: (ele) não funciona bem.

Why is não funciona bem in the present tense if the charger “was placed” in the past?

Because the sentence is describing a current result/state: it was plugged in (past event), but it doesn’t work well (now). Portuguese often uses the present for a situation that’s true at the moment of speaking.
If you meant it didn’t work at that time (past-only), you could say:

..., mas não funcionou bem. = but it didn’t work well.

What does bem add here? Could it be omitted?

bem means well, so não funciona bem = doesn’t work well / doesn’t work properly.
You can omit it:

..., mas não funciona. = ..., but it doesn’t work. (stronger/more absolute)

A very common informal alternative in Brazil is:

..., mas não funciona direito. = ..., but it doesn’t work properly.

Could Brazilians say foi plugado instead of foi colocado na tomada?

Yes, informally you may hear:

O carregador foi plugado na tomada... (from plugar, a common borrowed verb)

But foi colocado na tomada is more neutral and broadly acceptable. Another natural option is:

O carregador foi colocado na tomada / O carregador foi ligado na tomada (also common in Brazil depending on region).