Breakdown of Eles querem comprar peixe no mercado hoje.
hoje
today
querer
to want
eles
they
comprar
to buy
o mercado
the market
o peixe
the fish
Questions & Answers about Eles querem comprar peixe no mercado hoje.
Why does the verb appear as “querem” instead of “quer” or “queres”?
In Portuguese, querem is the third-person plural form of the verb querer, which matches eles (“they”).
‣ Ele/ela/você → quer
‣ Eles/elas/vocês → querem
Is there a reason “peixe” doesn’t use any article here?
Portuguese often omits definite or indefinite articles when talking about things in a general sense, especially objects being bought or sold, so peixe (“fish”) here does not require an article. In conversation, adding an article would change the nuance slightly, making it more specific (o peixe might imply a particular fish).
Why is it “no mercado” and not “em o mercado”?
In Portuguese, no is a contraction of em + o. You’ll see similar contractions for em + a, becoming na, as well as de + o → do, and de + a → da. So no mercado literally means “in the market” or “at the market.”
Where else could we place “hoje” in this sentence?
Hoje (“today”) usually appears at the beginning or the end of a sentence. For example:
• Hoje, eles querem comprar peixe no mercado.
• Eles querem comprar peixe no mercado hoje.
Both are correct. The placement is flexible and does not change the meaning.
What if I want to emphasize “Eles” specifically?
In Portuguese, subject pronouns are sometimes omitted because the verb conjugation can make the subject clear. Using eles explicitly can add emphasis that it is “they” (and not someone else) who want to buy fish. If the context already makes the subject obvious, Portuguese speakers might say simply Querem comprar peixe no mercado hoje.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“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 PortugueseMaster Portuguese — from Eles querem comprar peixe no mercado hoje to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ 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