O chinelo está debaixo da cama, então eu vou pegar o outro.

In Brazilian Portuguese, chinelo usually means a flip-flop or thong sandal, though in some contexts English speakers may translate it as slipper.

In this sentence, O chinelo está debaixo da cama..., it most likely means one flip-flop from a pair.

A few useful related words:

• chinelo = flip-flop
• par de chinelos = pair of flip-flops
• pantufa = house slipper

So if you are imagining casual Brazilian footwear, flip-flop is probably the best translation here.

O means the, while um means a/an.

So:

• O chinelo = the flip-flop
• Um chinelo = a flip-flop

Using o suggests that the speaker and listener already know which flip-flop is being talked about, or that it is a specific one in the situation.

Since the sentence continues with o outro (the other one), it clearly refers to one item from a known pair.

Portuguese has two common verbs for to be:

• ser → for identity, permanent characteristics, origin, time, etc.
• estar → for location, condition, temporary states

Here, the sentence is talking about location:

• O chinelo está debaixo da cama. = The flip-flop is under the bed.

So está is used because the flip-flop is located somewhere.

A quick comparison:

• Ele é meu irmão. = He is my brother.
• Ele está em casa. = He is at home.

Debaixo de means under or underneath.

In the sentence:

• debaixo da cama = under the bed

This breaks down as:

• debaixo de = under
• a cama = the bed
• de + a = da

So:

• debaixo da cama literally = under of-the bed, which naturally means under the bed

You may also hear embaixo da cama, which is very similar in everyday Brazilian Portuguese.

Because Portuguese normally contracts de + a into da.

So:

• de + a = da
• de + o = do
• em + a = na
• em + o = no

That means:

• debaixo da cama = under the bed
• not debaixo de a cama

The uncontracted version sounds unnatural in standard Portuguese.

Yes, but in many everyday situations they are very close in meaning.

Both can mean under / underneath:

• debaixo da cama
• embaixo da cama

In Brazilian Portuguese, both are common, and in this sentence either would usually sound natural.

A rough guideline:

• debaixo de is often taught as the standard form
• embaixo de is very common in speech

For a learner, it is useful to recognize both.

Here, então means so, therefore, or in that case.

It connects the first idea to the result:

• O chinelo está debaixo da cama, então eu vou pegar o outro.
• The flip-flop is under the bed, so I’m going to get the other one.

It shows a consequence or decision based on what was just said.

Other common uses of então can depend on context, but in this sentence it is simply a connector meaning so.

Yes, it could.

Portuguese often omits subject pronouns when the verb already makes the subject clear.

So both are natural:

• então eu vou pegar o outro
• então vou pegar o outro

Why include eu?

Common reasons:

• emphasis
• clarity
• natural rhythm in speech
• contrast with someone else

In this sentence, eu is not required, but it is completely normal.

Vou pegar is the very common near future / going to structure in Portuguese:

• vou pegar = I’m going to get
• literally: I go to get

It is formed with:

• ir in the present tense + infinitive

So:

• eu vou pegar
• você vai pegar
• nós vamos pegar

Portuguese also has a simple future:

• pegarei = I will get

But in everyday Brazilian Portuguese, vou pegar is usually much more common and natural in speech.

Here, pegar means to get, to grab, or to pick up.

In context:

• vou pegar o outro = I’m going to get the other one

Pegar is a very common verb in Brazilian Portuguese and can have several meanings depending on context, such as:

• pick up / grab
• take
• catch
• sometimes even understand, in certain expressions

In this sentence, the idea is simply that the speaker will take/grab the other flip-flop.

O outro means the other one.

The noun chinelo is understood from context, so Portuguese does not need to repeat it.

Full version:

• vou pegar o outro chinelo = I’m going to get the other flip-flop

Shorter, more natural version:

• vou pegar o outro = I’m going to get the other one

This works because everyone already knows what the other one refers to.

Because here outro is being used with a definite article to mean the other one.

Compare:

• outro chinelo = another flip-flop / other flip-flop
• o outro = the other one

In this sentence, the speaker is referring to a specific second item from the pair, so o outro makes sense.

Since chinelo is masculine singular, the form is:

• o outro

If the noun were feminine, it would be:

• a outra

For example:

• a outra sandália = the other sandal

Because the sentence is talking about one of the two flip-flops.

The idea is:

• one flip-flop is under the bed
• so the speaker will get the other one

That is why you see singular forms:

• o chinelo
• o outro

If the sentence were about both flip-flops, it would use plural forms such as:

• os chinelos
• os outros

A natural Brazilian pronunciation would sound something like this:

• O chinelo tá debaixo da cama, então eu vou pegá o outro.

A few things to notice:

• In casual speech, está often becomes tá
• Final r in infinitives like pegar may sound weak or disappear in many accents, so pegar can sound like pegá
• então has a nasal sound at the end
• debaixo da often flows together smoothly in speech

You should still learn the full written form:

• O chinelo está debaixo da cama, então eu vou pegar o outro.

But it is helpful to recognize the more relaxed spoken version too.