Na festa, meu sogro pediu um pedaço de bolo e milho com manteiga.

At the party, my father-in-law asked for a piece of cake and corn with butter.

Breakdown of Na festa, meu sogro pediu um pedaço de bolo e milho com manteiga.

• um: a
• com: with
• meu: my
• e: and

Questions & Answers about Na festa, meu sogro pediu um pedaço de bolo e milho com manteiga.

What does na mean, and why isn’t it written as em a?

Na is a contraction of em + a.

• em = in / at / on
• a = the for a feminine singular noun

Because festa is feminine singular, em a festa becomes na festa.

Very common contractions:

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

So na festa means at the party or in the party, depending on context.

Why is there a comma after Na festa?

The comma separates the opening time/place expression from the main clause.

• Na festa, = setting the scene first
• meu sogro pediu... = main information

In English, this is similar to At the party, my father-in-law ordered...

In Portuguese, that comma is very natural here. With a short opening phrase, some writers may omit it, but using it is clear and standard.

Why does it say meu sogro and not o meu sogro?