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Questions & Answers about Eu mexo o café devagar.
What does mexo mean in this sentence?
Mexo is the first person singular present tense of the verb mexer. In this context, it means "I stir"—referring to the action of stirring the coffee.
What does devagar mean, and why is it placed at the end of the sentence?
Devagar translates to "slowly" in English. It describes the manner in which the action is performed. In Portuguese, adverbs like devagar often come after the main verb or object, which is why it appears at the end of the sentence.
Why is the object referred to as o café instead of just café?
In Portuguese, definite articles are commonly used with nouns. O café indicates "the coffee", specifying the particular coffee being stirred. This is a typical structure in Portuguese where the article is an integral part of the noun phrase.
Could I substitute mexer with misturar in this sentence?
No, not interchangeably in this context. While misturar means "to mix" (often implying blending ingredients together), mexer is the conventional verb used when referring to stirring a beverage like coffee. Using mexer sounds more natural when describing the action of stirring without necessarily combining ingredients.
What is the overall grammatical structure of the sentence?
The sentence follows a typical Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order with an additional adverb:
• Eu (Subject)
• mexo (Verb)
• o café (Object)
• devagar (Adverb modifying the verb)
This straightforward structure is very common in Portuguese.