Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Hoje lavei os meus sapatos porque estavam sujos. - Today I washed my shoes because they were dirty.

Lavei is the first person singular form of the verb lavar in the simple past (preterite). It translates to "I washed" in English, showing that the action was completed in the past.

Why does the sentence use the phrase os meus sapatos with both the definite article os and the possessive meus?

In European Portuguese, it is common to include the definite article with possessive adjectives. Os meus sapatos literally means "the my shoes", but it is understood as "my shoes". This structure emphasizes that the shoes are specific and known to the speaker and listener.

What role does porque play in this sentence, and what does it mean?

Porque means because. It introduces the reason for washing the shoes, connecting the main clause with an explanatory subordinate clause that tells us the shoes were washed because they were dirty.

Why is the verb estavam used in the imperfect tense in the expression estavam sujos?

Estavam is the imperfect form of the verb estar for the third person plural. The imperfect tense is used here to describe a past state—indicating that the shoes were in an ongoing condition of being dirty at the time when the washing occurred. It helps set the scene by providing background information.

Why is the subject pronoun (meaning I) omitted from the sentence?

In Portuguese, subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb conjugation already clearly indicates the subject. In this case, lavei inherently shows that the speaker is referring to I (first person singular), making it unnecessary to state it explicitly.