Breakdown of Eu coloco o livro contra a mesa.
eu
I
o livro
the book
a mesa
the table
colocar
to put
contra
against
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Questions & Answers about Eu coloco o livro contra a mesa.
What is the basic structure of the sentence "Eu coloco o livro contra a mesa."?
The sentence follows a clear Subject-Verb-Object-Complement structure. Eu is the subject ("I"), coloco is the first-person singular present tense form of the verb colocar ("to put/place"), o livro is the direct object ("the book"), and contra a mesa is a prepositional phrase indicating the placement ("against the table").
What does coloco mean, and which verb is it derived from?
Coloco means "I put" or "I place" and is the first-person singular present indicative form of the verb colocar. It shows the action performed by the subject.
Why is the definite article o used in o livro?
In Portuguese, nouns are accompanied by articles that match the noun’s gender and number. Since livro (book) is a masculine singular noun, it takes the masculine singular definite article o, which corresponds to "the" in English.
What is the role of the preposition contra in this sentence?
Contra means "against" and is used to describe a spatial relationship. In this context, it indicates that the book is placed leaning or pressed against the table, rather than simply being on top of it.
Why is a mesa used instead of o mesa?
The noun mesa (table) is feminine in Portuguese. Therefore, it takes the feminine singular definite article a ("the"), making the phrase a mesa.
Can the subject Eu be omitted, and if so, why?
Yes, it can be omitted because Portuguese is a pro-drop language. The verb coloco already clearly indicates the first-person singular subject, so including Eu is optional and is typically used for extra clarity or emphasis.