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Questions & Answers about Ele lê um livro no quarto.
What does Ele mean in this sentence?
Ele is a subject pronoun that means he in English. It refers to a male individual performing the action in the sentence.
What does lê mean and why is it written with an accent?
lê is the third-person singular present form of the verb ler, which means to read. The accent on the ê indicates the proper stress and helps differentiate it from other similarly spelled words.
Why is the indefinite article um used before livro?
um is the masculine singular indefinite article in Portuguese, equivalent to a in English. It is used here to indicate that the sentence refers to an unspecified, non-unique book.
What does livro translate to, and how is it used in the sentence?
livro translates to book. In this sentence, it serves as the direct object of the verb lê, showing what is being read.
What is the role of the contraction no in no quarto?
no is a contraction of the preposition em (meaning in) and the masculine definite article o (meaning the). This contraction is used because quarto is a masculine noun, and together they form the phrase meaning in the room (or bedroom).
Does quarto mean room or bedroom, and which one is more appropriate here?
In Portuguese, quarto generally means bedroom, although it can also refer to a room in some contexts. Given the sentence and common usage in Portugal, it most likely refers to a bedroom—the location where the reading is taking place.