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Questions & Answers about Eu vou ao cinema hoje.
What does "Eu" mean in this sentence?
It is the subject pronoun that means "I" in English, indicating that the speaker is performing the action.
What does "vou" mean, and how is it used in this context?
"Vou" is the first person singular form of the verb "ir," which means "to go." In this sentence, it expresses that the speaker is going (or intends to go) somewhere—specifically, to the cinema.
Why is the contraction "ao" used in "ao cinema" instead of writing "a o"?
In Portuguese, the preposition "a" (meaning "to") and the masculine singular definite article "o" (meaning "the") combine to form the contraction "ao." This contraction is used before masculine singular nouns like "cinema."
What does "cinema" refer to in this sentence?
In Portuguese (Portugal), "cinema" typically refers to a movie theater—the place where films are shown. It does not refer to the film itself, which would be "filme."
What role does "hoje" play in the sentence, and what does it mean?
"Hoje" means "today" and functions as an adverb indicating the time of the action. Its placement at the end of the sentence is common in Portuguese to emphasize when the event (going to the cinema) will occur.
Can the subject pronoun "Eu" be omitted in everyday Portuguese, and why might a speaker choose to include it?
Yes, the subject pronoun can often be dropped because the verb conjugation "vou" already makes it clear that the subject is first person singular. However, including "Eu" may serve to add emphasis or clarity, especially in situations where the speaker wants to avoid any potential ambiguity.