Eu vou ao mercado antes de voltar para casa.

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Breakdown of Eu vou ao mercado antes de voltar para casa.

• a casa: the house
• ao: to the
• para: to

Questions & Answers about Eu vou ao mercado antes de voltar para casa.

Why is ao used here?

Ao is a contraction of a + o.

• a = to
• o = the (masculine singular article)

So ao mercado literally means to the market.

This kind of contraction is very common in Portuguese:

• a + o = ao
• a + a = à
• de + o = do
• em + o = no

So vou ao mercado is the normal contracted form of vou a o mercado, and the uncontracted version is not used.

Why is it vou ao mercado and not vou para o mercado?

Both can be correct, but they are not always used in exactly the same way.

In this sentence, ir a is a very standard way to say to go to a place:

• vou ao mercado = I go / I’m going to the market

You may also hear:

• vou para o mercado

In Brazilian Portuguese, ir para is also very common, especially in everyday speech. Very roughly:

• ir a can sound a bit more neutral or traditional
• ir para can emphasize destination a little more

In real Brazilian usage, both are common, and many speakers would also say:

• vou no mercado

That last one is very common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese, though some teachers and grammar books prefer vou ao mercado.

Why is there de after antes?