Breakdown of Eu compro o queijo no mercado.
eu
I
em
in
comprar
to buy
o mercado
the market
o queijo
the cheese
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Questions & Answers about Eu compro o queijo no mercado.
What does compro mean, and why is it conjugated this way?
Compro is the first-person singular present form of the verb comprar, which means “to buy.” In this sentence, it translates as “I buy.” The conjugation indicates that the speaker is the one performing the action.
Why is the definite article o used before queijo?
Portuguese nouns generally require a definite or indefinite article. Queijo (cheese) is a masculine noun, so it is paired with the masculine definite article o. This construction is used even when referring to a habitual or general action, which might differ from English where the article can sometimes be omitted.
What does no in no mercado signify?
No is a contraction in Portuguese formed by combining the preposition em (meaning “in” or “at”) with the masculine definite article o (meaning “the”). So no mercado translates directly to “at the market”.
Is it necessary to include the subject pronoun Eu in this sentence?
No, it isn’t strictly necessary. In Portuguese, the verb conjugation usually indicates the subject, so you can simply say “Compro o queijo no mercado.” Including Eu (meaning “I”) is acceptable when you want to stress or clarify the subject, but it is often omitted in everyday conversation.
How similar is the structure of this Portuguese sentence to its English equivalent?
The structure of the Portuguese sentence “Eu compro o queijo no mercado” is quite similar to English, following a Subject-Verb-Object (plus adverbial phrase) order. However, note that while English might say “I buy cheese at the market,” Portuguese uses definite articles (o queijo and no mercado) more consistently, even when speaking of general or habitual actions.