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Ele não come pão.

Ele não come pão.
He doesn't eat bread.
FromLesson 3inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of Ele não come pão.

o pão
the bread
comer
to eat
ele
he
não
not

Questions & Answers about Ele não come pão.

What is the overall translation of "Ele não come pão" into English?
It translates as "He doesn't eat bread." This simple statement uses negation to indicate that he generally does not eat bread.
What is the function of the word não in this sentence?
Não serves as the negation, equivalent to "not" or "doesn't" in English. Placed before the verb come, it negates the action, showing that the eating action does not occur.
Which form of the verb comer is used here, and what does it tell us?
The verb come is the third-person singular form of comer (to eat) in the simple present tense. This implies that the statement describes a habitual or general action concerning him.
Why is there no article before pão, and would it change the meaning if an article were added?
In Portuguese, when referring to food or a general category, the noun can be used without an article. Ele não come pão expresses a general truth about bread in his diet. Adding an article—as in "Ele não come o pão"—would imply a specific piece or type of bread already known in the context.
What is the typical word order for a negative sentence like this in Portuguese?
The standard negative sentence structure in Portuguese is: Subject + Negation (não) + Verb + Object. In this sentence, Ele is the subject, não negates the verb come, and pão is the object being eaten.
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