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Questions & Answers about Eu aqueço a água.
What does the sentence Eu aqueço a água mean in English?
It translates to “I heat the water.” Here, Eu means “I”, aqueço is the first person singular present indicative form of the verb aquecer (to heat), and a água means “the water.”
Why is the verb aquecer conjugated as aqueço in this sentence?
In Portuguese, verbs ending in -ecer often have an irregular change in the first person singular to maintain the soft “s” sound before vowels like o. Thus, instead of following a regular pattern, aquecer becomes aqueço for “I heat.”
What role does the definite article a play in a água?
In Portuguese, nouns almost always appear with an article. Água is a feminine noun, so it takes the feminine definite article a, making a água mean “the water.”
Can the subject pronoun Eu be omitted since Portuguese often drops it?
Yes, subject pronouns in Portuguese can be dropped because the verb conjugation usually makes the subject clear. However, including Eu can add emphasis or clarity. In this sentence, it explicitly reinforces that “I” am doing the action.
Are there alternative verbs for “to heat” in Portuguese, and how do they differ from aquecer?
Another common verb is esquentar, which also means “to heat” or “to warm up.” The choice between aquecer and esquentar can depend on context or regional preference. Aquecer is often used in more formal or technical contexts (for example, heating water in a machine), while esquentar might be more common in informal speech.