Breakdown of Eu encontro o meu amigo no multibanco.
eu
I
meu
my
o amigo
the friend
em
in
o multibanco
the ATM
encontrar
to meet
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Questions & Answers about Eu encontro o meu amigo no multibanco.
What does multibanco mean in this sentence?
In Portugal, multibanco refers to an ATM (Automated Teller Machine). It’s the machine you use to withdraw cash or carry out other basic banking tasks.
Why is the contraction no used before multibanco?
The word no is a contraction of em + o. Here, em means "at" and o is the definite article for masculine singular nouns. Since multibanco is masculine, no multibanco translates to "at the ATM" in English.
What does the verb encontro mean, and why might it be confusing for English speakers?
The verb encontro comes from encontrar, which can mean both "to meet" and "to find" in English. In this context, it means "I meet"—indicating that you arrange to see your friend. English speakers might associate "find" with encontrar, but context is key to understanding that here it means "meet".
Why is the phrase written as o meu amigo instead of just amigo?
The phrase o meu amigo means "my friend". Including the possessive meu clarifies whose friend is being mentioned. Omitting it might make the sentence sound less natural or ambiguous in conversation.
How does the word order in Eu encontro o meu amigo no multibanco compare to English?
The sentence follows a Subject-Verb-Object-Location structure, which is very similar to English. Eu (I) is the subject, encontro (meet) is the verb, o meu amigo (my friend) is the object, and no multibanco (at the ATM) indicates location. This similarity can help English speakers grasp the sentence structure more easily.
Is multibanco used throughout all Portuguese-speaking regions?
No, multibanco is primarily used in Portugal. For instance, in Brazil the equivalent term for an ATM is caixa eletrônico. This is an example of regional vocabulary differences that learners should be aware of.