Breakdown of Ela recolhe os papéis do chão.
ela
she
de
of
o chão
the floor
o papel
the paper
recolher
to gather
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Questions & Answers about Ela recolhe os papéis do chão.
What is the meaning of the verb recolhe in this sentence, and how is it conjugated?
Recolhe is the third-person singular form (corresponding to "she") of the verb recolher in the present indicative. It means "picks up" or "gathers", describing the current action performed by the subject.
Why is the definite article os used before papéis, and what does it tell us about the noun?
The article os is the masculine plural definite article in Portuguese. It indicates that papéis (which means "papers") is a masculine plural noun. This usage is similar to using "the" in English to refer to specific or known items.
What does the contraction do in do chão represent, and how is it formed?
Do is a contraction of the preposition de (meaning "from" or "of") and the masculine singular definite article o (meaning "the"). Thus, do chão translates to "from the floor". This is a common feature in Portuguese grammar where prepositions merge with definite articles.
What role does ela play in this sentence, and what does it translate to in English?
Ela is the subject pronoun, which translates to "she" in English. It clearly indicates who is performing the action expressed by the verb.
How does the word order and structure of this Portuguese sentence compare to English?
The sentence follows a subject-verb-object order, similar to English. Ela (subject) comes first, followed by recolhe (verb), and then os papéis do chão (object phrase). The main differences include the use of definite articles and contractions (such as do for de + o) in Portuguese, which are used more consistently than in English.