Breakdown of Coloquei flores dentro de um vaso novo, para dar cor à sala de estar.
um
a
novo
new
para
to
a sala de estar
the living room
a flor
the flower
dar
to give
colocar
to put
a cor
the color
dentro de
in
o vaso
the vase
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Questions & Answers about Coloquei flores dentro de um vaso novo, para dar cor à sala de estar.
What does the verb coloquei mean, and why is it in this form?
Coloquei is the first-person singular preterite (past simple) form of the verb colocar, which means "to put" or "to place." Its use implies that I placed the flowers, even though the subject eu ("I") is not explicitly mentioned.
Why isn’t the subject eu explicitly stated in the sentence?
In Portuguese, it’s common to omit the subject when the verb conjugation makes it clear who is performing the action. Since coloquei already indicates a first-person singular subject, mentioning eu is unnecessary.
What does the phrase "dentro de um vaso novo" mean, and why is "dentro de" used instead of simply "em"?
The phrase "dentro de um vaso novo" translates to "inside a new vase." The use of "dentro de" specifically emphasizes that the flowers are placed inside of the vase. While using "em" (contracted as "no" for a masculine noun) could imply location as well, "dentro de" explicitly denotes that they are within the vase’s interior.
What is the function of "para dar cor à sala de estar" in the sentence, and how does it express purpose?
"Para dar cor à sala de estar" is an adverbial phrase that indicates the purpose of placing the flowers. The construction "para" followed by the infinitive "dar" (to give) signals that the intention behind the action is to add color to the living room.
Why is there an accent in "à" in "à sala de estar", and how is this contraction formed?
The accent in "à" occurs because it is a contraction of the preposition "a" (meaning "to") and the feminine singular article "a" (meaning "the"). In Portuguese, a contraction like "a" + "a" becomes "à" (with an accent) to ensure proper agreement and clarity.
How are the noun and adjective arranged in "um vaso novo", and why is the order important?
In "um vaso novo", "vaso" (vase) is a masculine noun and "novo" (new) is the adjective that describes it. Portuguese typically places adjectives after the noun, and the adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun—in this case, masculine and singular.