Breakdown of Prefiro usar uma manta macia no inverno, para me manter quente durante a noite.
a noite
the night
em
in
para
to
uma
a
preferir
to prefer
durante
during
usar
to use
manter
to keep
me
myself
macio
soft
o inverno
the winter
quente
warm
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Questions & Answers about Prefiro usar uma manta macia no inverno, para me manter quente durante a noite.
What does "prefiro" mean in this sentence, and why isn’t the subject pronoun explicitly mentioned?
"Prefiro" translates to "I prefer". In Portuguese, subject pronouns (like "eu" for "I") are often omitted because the verb ending already indicates the subject.
How is the verb "usar" used here, and why does it follow "prefiro" in its infinitive form?
The verb "usar" means "to use". When expressing preferences, Portuguese commonly follows a conjugated verb with an infinitive. Here, "prefiro usar" means "I prefer to use".
What does "manta macia" mean and why do both words have feminine forms?
"Manta macia" means "soft blanket". The noun "manta" is feminine in Portuguese, so the adjective "macia" must agree in gender, hence its feminine form.
How is the contraction "no" in "no inverno" formed, and what does it indicate?
"No" is a contraction of "em" (meaning "in") and the masculine definite article "o" (meaning "the"). Since "inverno" (winter) is masculine, "no inverno" translates to "in the winter".
What is the function of the phrase "para me manter quente durante a noite", and how is the reflexive pronoun "me" used?
The phrase "para me manter quente durante a noite" translates as "to keep myself warm during the night". Here, "para" introduces a purpose clause. The reflexive pronoun "me" refers to the speaker and is placed before the verb "manter" to indicate that the action (keeping warm) is being done to oneself.
Why is a comma placed before "para me manter quente durante a noite" in the sentence?
The comma separates the main clause ("Prefiro usar uma manta macia no inverno") from the purpose clause ("para me manter quente durante a noite"). This punctuation helps clarify that the latter phrase explains the purpose of using the soft blanket.