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Meu irmão e eu estudamos para o exame.

Meu irmão e eu estudamos para o exame.
My brother and I study for the exam.
FromLesson 17inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of Meu irmão e eu estudamos para o exame.

eu
I
meu
my
estudar
to study
e
and
para
for
o exame
the exam
o irmão
the brother

Questions & Answers about Meu irmão e eu estudamos para o exame.

What does the sentence Meu irmão e eu estudamos para o exame mean in English?
It translates to “My brother and I study for the exam.” This indicates that both you and your brother are engaged in studying with the purpose of preparing for an exam.
Why is the verb conjugated as estudamos in this sentence?
The verb estudamos is in the first-person plural form because the subject Meu irmão e eu (my brother and I) corresponds to we in English. Portuguese verbs must agree in person and number with their subject.
What role does the conjunction e play in the sentence?
The word e means “and” in English. It links the two components of the compound subject, meu irmão (my brother) and eu (I), indicating that both participants are performing the action together.
Why is the compound subject expressed as Meu irmão e eu instead of just using the verb form?
While Portuguese often allows omitting subject pronouns because the verb conjugation clearly shows the subject, including Meu irmão e eu explicitly clarifies who is involved—especially when mentioning more than one person—to avoid any ambiguity.
What does the prepositional phrase para o exame indicate?
The phrase para o exame specifies the purpose or goal of the studying. Para means “for,” o is the masculine definite article equivalent to “the,” and exame means “exam.” Together, they show that the studying is done in preparation for the exam.
Why is the definite article o used before exame?
In Portuguese, nouns typically require an article. Since exame is a masculine noun, the correct definite article is o, which functions just like “the” in English and helps specify that the exam in question is a particular one.
How does the structure of this Portuguese sentence compare to its English equivalent?
The structure is very similar to English: it begins with the subject (Meu irmão e eu / my brother and I), follows with the verb (estudamos / study), and ends with a prepositional phrase (para o exame / for the exam) that explains the purpose. This parallel structure often makes it easier for English speakers to learn and understand Portuguese.
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