Na universidade, os alunos usam crachá para entrar no prédio e no setor da biblioteca.

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Breakdown of Na universidade, os alunos usam crachá para entrar no prédio e no setor da biblioteca.

• para: to
• e: and
• usar: to use

Questions & Answers about Na universidade, os alunos usam crachá para entrar no prédio e no setor da biblioteca.

Why does the sentence start with na universidade?

Na universidade means in/at the university. The word na is a contraction of em + a.

• em = in, on, at
• a = the, feminine singular

Since universidade is a feminine noun, em a universidade becomes na universidade.

Starting the sentence this way sets the scene, like At the university, ... in English.

Why is it na universidade and not no universidade?

Because universidade is feminine.

In Portuguese, articles must match the gender of the noun:

• masculine singular: o
• feminine singular: a

So:

• em + o = no
• em + a = na

Since it is a universidade, the correct form is na universidade.

Why does Portuguese use os alunos instead of just alunos?

Portuguese often uses definite articles more than English does. So os alunos literally means the students, but in many contexts it can sound natural even when English might simply say students.

Here, os alunos refers to the students in that university context, so it sounds very normal.

Why is the verb and not ?