Breakdown of Eu vou ao supermercado comprar peixe.
eu
I
ir
to go
comprar
to buy
o peixe
the fish
o supermercado
the supermarket
Questions & Answers about Eu vou ao supermercado comprar peixe.
Why is “ao” used before “supermercado,” and what does it mean?
“Ao” is a contraction of the preposition a (“to”) and the masculine definite article o (“the”). In this sentence, “ao supermercado” means “to the supermarket,” showing the destination of the action.
How does the sentence structure indicate future intent even though “vou” is in the present tense?
Portuguese often uses the present tense of ir (“to go”) together with an infinitive verb to express near-future plans. Here, “Eu vou ao supermercado comprar peixe” means you are going to the supermarket with the intention of buying fish, much like saying “I am going to buy fish” in English.
Why is the verb “comprar” in the infinitive form rather than being conjugated?
When a sentence expresses movement or intent—using a structure like ir + [infinitive]—the main action (in this case, comprar, “to buy”) remains in the infinitive. This pattern clearly links your intention with the destination or purpose outlined in the sentence.
Why is there no article before “peixe”?
In Portuguese, when referring to things like food in a general sense, often no article is used. Saying “comprar peixe” implies buying fish in general, rather than specifying a particular fish or type of fish. This omission is common in colloquial and everyday usage.
What is the difference between “Eu vou ao supermercado comprar peixe” and “Eu vou ao supermercado para comprar peixe”?
Both sentences convey the same basic intention: you’re going to the supermarket in order to buy fish. The version with “para” explicitly indicates purpose (“para comprar peixe” means “in order to buy fish”), which can make the purpose clearer. However, in everyday spoken Portuguese, it is common and acceptable to drop “para” when the context makes the intention obvious.
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