Word
Primeiro separamos o papelão; depois descartamos o rejeito.
Meaning
First we separate the cardboard; then we discard the non-recoverable waste.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Breakdown of Primeiro separamos o papelão; depois descartamos o rejeito.
depois
later
primeiro
first
o papelão
the cardboard
o rejeito
the non-recoverable waste
Questions & Answers about Primeiro separamos o papelão; depois descartamos o rejeito.
Why are separamos and descartamos translated as we separate and we discard?
Because both verbs are in the 1st person plural of the present indicative:
- separamos = we separate
- descartamos = we discard
In Portuguese, the ending -amos often marks we with -ar verbs.
The full forms are:
- separar → nós separamos
- descartar → nós descartamos
Portuguese often drops the subject pronoun nós because the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.
Why is nós not written in the sentence?
Portuguese is a language that often omits subject pronouns when the verb ending makes the subject clear.
So:
- Primeiro separamos o papelão
means the same as - Primeiro nós separamos o papelão
Both are correct, but leaving out nós sounds natural and common.
Does separamos ever mean we separated instead of we separate?