Breakdown of Eu posso desenhar um quadro maravilhoso para a minha amiga.
eu
I
um
a
minha
my
a amiga
the friend
para
for
poder
to be able to
maravilhoso
wonderful
desenhar
to draw
o quadro
the painting
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Questions & Answers about Eu posso desenhar um quadro maravilhoso para a minha amiga.
Why is the main verb desenhar in its infinitive form instead of being conjugated?
In Portuguese, modal verbs like poder are conjugated to match the subject while the following verb remains in the infinitive form. In this sentence, posso is the first-person singular of poder, and it is naturally followed by the infinitive desenhar—much like in English when we say “I can draw” rather than “I can draws.”
Does desenhar mean “to draw” or “to paint” in this context?
Desenhar primarily means “to draw” or “to sketch.” If you wanted to express “to paint” in the sense of applying colors with a brush, you would use the verb pintar. So here, the sentence implies the act of drawing a picture or creating a sketch.
What does the word quadro refer to in this sentence?
In this context, quadro refers to a piece of artwork, typically a painting or a picture. Although quadro can also mean “frame,” “board,” or even “chart” in other contexts, the surrounding words—especially with desenhar and maravilhoso—make it clear that it’s about an artwork.
Why is the adjective maravilhoso placed after the noun quadro instead of before it?
In Portuguese, it is common for adjectives to follow the noun they describe. The typical word order is noun + adjective, which can differ from English where adjectives usually come before the noun. Thus, “um quadro maravilhoso” is the natural order in Portuguese.
Why is the indefinite article um used before quadro?
The article um is the masculine singular indefinite article in Portuguese, equivalent to “a” or “an” in English. It is used here because the speaker is referring to one non-specific painting. If a specific painting already known to the listener were meant, the definite article (e.g., o) might be used instead.
What is the function of the preposition para in the phrase “para a minha amiga”?
The preposition para indicates the recipient or beneficiary of the action—similar to “for” in English. In this sentence, it shows that the wonderful painting is intended for the speaker’s friend.
Why is the subject pronoun Eu explicitly stated even though the verb conjugation in posso already implies “I”?
Portuguese often allows the omission of subject pronouns because the verb conjugation clearly indicates the subject. However, including Eu can add clarity or emphasis, especially if the speaker wants to stress who is performing the action or to avoid any ambiguity in conversation.