Eu machuquei o tornozelo no parque, mas meu calcanhar está bem.

Breakdown of Eu machuquei o tornozelo no parque, mas meu calcanhar está bem.

eu
I
estar
to be
meu
my
mas
but
no
in the
o parque
the park
machucar
to hurt
o tornozelo
the ankle
o calcanhar
the heel
bem
fine

Questions & Answers about Eu machuquei o tornozelo no parque, mas meu calcanhar está bem.

Why does the sentence start with Eu? Can I leave it out?

Yes, you often can leave out Eu in Brazilian Portuguese.

  • Eu machuquei o tornozelo...
  • Machuquei o tornozelo...

Both are natural, because the verb machuquei already shows that the subject is I.

Including Eu can add:

  • emphasis
  • contrast
  • clarity

For example, Eu machuquei o tornozelo, mas ele machucou o joelho emphasizes that I hurt my ankle, while he hurt his knee.


What does machuquei mean exactly?

Machuquei comes from the verb machucar, which means to hurt, to injure, or to get hurt/injured, depending on context.

In this sentence, machuquei o tornozelo means:

  • I hurt my ankle
  • I injured my ankle

It is very common in everyday Brazilian Portuguese for physical injury.

Examples:

  • Machuquei a mão. = I hurt my hand.
  • Ela machucou o joelho. = She hurt her knee.

What tense is machuquei?

Machuquei is the first-person singular preterite of machucar.

That means:

  • machuquei = I hurt / I injured
  • it refers to a completed action in the past

So the sentence suggests that the ankle injury happened at some specific time in the past.

Quick comparison:

  • machuquei = I hurt / I injured
  • machucava = I used to hurt / I was hurting
  • tenho machucado = I have hurt / I have been hurting

In this sentence, the simple completed-past meaning is the best fit.


Why is it o tornozelo and not meu tornozelo?

Portuguese often uses the definite article with body parts where English uses a possessive.

So Portuguese commonly says:

  • machuquei o tornozelo
  • literally: I hurt the ankle
  • natural English: I hurt my ankle

This is very normal, especially when it is obvious whose body part it is.

More examples:

  • Lavei as mãos. = I washed my hands.
  • Ela quebrou o braço. = She broke her arm.
  • Ele levantou a cabeça. = He raised his head.

Using meu tornozelo is possible, but it is usually less natural here unless you want emphasis or contrast.


Then why does the sentence say meu calcanhar instead of just o calcanhar?

Good question. Both are possible:

  • mas o calcanhar está bem
  • mas meu calcanhar está bem

Using meu makes the contrast a bit clearer and more explicit: my heel is fine.

So:

  • o tornozelo is natural because it is the direct object of the verb and clearly belongs to the speaker
  • meu calcanhar adds a little emphasis or specificity in the second clause

You may hear both patterns in real Brazilian Portuguese.


What is the difference between tornozelo and calcanhar?

They are different parts of the foot/leg area:

  • tornozelo = ankle
  • calcanhar = heel

So the sentence contrasts two nearby body parts:

  • the ankle got hurt
  • the heel is fine

This kind of contrast is common with mas.


What does no parque mean, and why is it no instead of em o?

No is a contraction of:

  • em + o = no

So:

  • no parque = in the park / at the park

Portuguese very often contracts em with definite articles:

  • em + o = no
  • em + a = na
  • em + os = nos
  • em + as = nas

Examples:

  • na escola = at school
  • no carro = in the car
  • nas férias = on vacation

So no parque is the normal form, not em o parque.


Does no parque mean in the park or at the park?

It can mean either, depending on context.

  • in the park if you are thinking of being physically inside the park
  • at the park if you are thinking more generally about the location

In many cases, English could use either one naturally.

So in this sentence:

  • I hurt my ankle in the park
  • I hurt my ankle at the park

Both are reasonable translations depending on the situation.


Why is it mas and not e?

Mas means but, and it introduces a contrast.

Here the contrast is:

  • one part is injured: machuquei o tornozelo
  • another part is okay: meu calcanhar está bem

If you used e (and), the contrast would be weaker:

  • Eu machuquei o tornozelo e meu calcanhar está bem.

That is grammatical, but mas sounds more logical and natural because the speaker is contrasting injury with no injury.


Why does the sentence use está bem instead of é bem?

Because estar is used for a state or condition, while ser is used for more permanent identity or characteristics.

Here, meu calcanhar está bem means:

  • my heel is fine
  • my heel is okay

This is a temporary or current condition, so estar is the correct verb.

Examples:

  • Estou bem. = I’m fine.
  • Ela está cansada. = She is tired.
  • O tornozelo está inchado. = The ankle is swollen.

Using ser here would sound wrong.


What does bem mean in this sentence?

Here bem means well, fine, or okay.

So está bem means:

  • is fine
  • is okay
  • is doing well

In this sentence, it means the heel is not injured or not causing problems.

Other uses of bem:

  • Estou bem. = I’m fine.
  • Ele canta bem. = He sings well.
  • Muito bem! = Very good!

So bem is a very flexible word.


Is machucar reflexive? Should it be me machuquei?

It can be reflexive, but it does not have to be.

Two common patterns are:

  1. Machuquei o tornozelo.
    = I hurt my ankle.

  2. Me machuquei.
    = I got hurt / I hurt myself.

If you specify the body part directly, machuquei o tornozelo is completely natural.

If you want the more general idea of injuring yourself, you can say:

  • Eu me machuquei no parque. = I got hurt in the park.

You can even combine them:

  • Eu machuquei o tornozelo no parque.
  • Eu me machuquei no parque e torci o tornozelo.

So the sentence as given is perfectly normal.


How is machuquei pronounced, especially the ch and quei part?

In Brazilian Portuguese, machuquei is pronounced approximately like:

  • ma-shoo-KAY

A few details:

  • ch sounds like English sh
  • quei sounds roughly like kay
  • the stress falls on the last syllable: -quei

So:

  • ma-chu-QUEI
  • more naturally: ma-shoo-KAY

This is only an approximation, but it helps an English speaker get close.


Could I say feri o tornozelo instead of machuquei o tornozelo?

You could, but it is less common in everyday speech for this context.

  • machucar is very common and conversational for to hurt/injure
  • ferir often sounds a bit more formal, serious, or literary, depending on context

So:

  • Machuquei o tornozelo = very natural in daily speech
  • Feri o tornozelo = understandable, but less likely in ordinary conversation

For a learner, machucar is usually the safer everyday choice.


Can the word order change?

Yes, to some extent.

The original sentence:

  • Eu machuquei o tornozelo no parque, mas meu calcanhar está bem.

Some natural variations:

  • Machuquei o tornozelo no parque, mas meu calcanhar está bem.
  • No parque, eu machuquei o tornozelo, mas meu calcanhar está bem.
  • Eu machuquei o tornozelo, mas meu calcanhar está bem.
    (if the location is omitted)

Changing the order can shift emphasis:

  • No parque... emphasizes where
  • Eu... emphasizes who
  • leaving out Eu sounds more neutral and natural in many cases

The original word order is very normal.


Is this sentence natural in Brazilian Portuguese?

Yes, it is natural and understandable.

It uses:

  • a very common past tense form (machuquei)
  • normal location structure (no parque)
  • a natural contrast with mas
  • a common expression of condition (está bem)

A Brazilian speaker might also say slight variations such as:

  • Machuquei o tornozelo no parque, mas o calcanhar está bem.
  • Eu machuquei o tornozelo no parque, mas meu calcanhar não foi afetado.
    (more formal or specific)

But the original sentence sounds perfectly fine.

AI Language TutorTry it ↗
Your avatar
What's the best way to learn Portuguese grammar?
Portuguese grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Portuguese

Master Portuguese — from Eu machuquei o tornozelo no parque, mas meu calcanhar está bem to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • AI tutor to answer your grammar questions