Question 1

Why does the Portuguese verb contar sometimes mean “to tell” and other times “to count”? How do I know which meaning to use?

Accepted Answer

Portuguese contar is polysemous.  
- When it takes an object like uma história, um segredo, uma piada, etc., it usually means “to tell.”  
- When it has a numerical object (e.g. os números, as batatas, as pessoas), it means “to count.”  
Context and the kind of object tell you which meaning applies.

Question 2

Why is there an accent on à before minha amiga? What does à stand for?

Accepted Answer

À is the contraction of the preposition a + the feminine definite article a.  
- Preposition a marks the indirect object (“to my friend”).  
- Article a agrees with minha amiga (feminine singular).  
So a + a → à.

Question 3

Why do we need the preposition a after contar? In English we just say “tell someone.”

Accepted Answer

In Portuguese, contar is ditransitive: it takes  
1) a direct object (what you tell: uma história)  
2) an indirect object (to whom you tell: a + pessoa).  
The preposition a marks that second element.  
English “tell someone” fuses these roles; Portuguese keeps them distinct.

Question 4

Could I use para instead of a, as in Eu conto uma história para a minha amiga?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can.  
- Contar algo a alguém is the traditional pattern.  
- Contar algo para alguém is also common, especially in informal speech, and puts slightly more emphasis on the “destination” of the action.  
Both mean “I tell a story to my friend.”

Question 5

Can I change the word order to put à minha amiga before uma história?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. You can say:  
- Eu conto uma história à minha amiga.  
- Eu conto à minha amiga uma história.  
Both are correct. Portuguese allows flexible placement of direct and indirect objects.

Question 6

How do I replace à minha amiga with a pronoun?

Accepted Answer

Use the indirect‐object pronoun lhe (to her):  
- Enclisis (after the verb): Eu conto-lhe uma história.  
- Proclisis (before the verb, e.g. in negative or questions): Eu não lhe conto uma história.  
European Portuguese also often uses conto-lhe without a personal pronoun subject.

Question 7

Why do we have the indefinite article uma before história? Could I say just Eu conto história à minha amiga?

Accepted Answer

História is a countable noun here, so Portuguese normally requires an article.  
- uma história = “a story.”  
Saying contar história without an article would sound like you’re speaking in a very telegraphic or generic way (e.g. “to tell stories” generally) or as in fixed expressions, but it’s not standard for one specific story.

Question 8

Why is it minha and not meu amiga?

Accepted Answer

Portuguese adjectives and possessives must match the gender (and number) of the noun they modify.  
- amiga is feminine, so we use minha (feminine).  
- If it were amigo (male friend), we would say meu amigo.

Question 9

How do I ask “To whom am I telling a story?” in Portuguese?

Accepted Answer

Use a quem (no contraction, because quem has no article):  
- A quem conto uma história?  
You can also say Para quem conto uma história?, especially in spoken or informal contexts.

Question 10

How do I make the sentence negative? For example, “I’m not telling a story to my friend.”

Accepted Answer

Place não before the verb:  
- Eu não conto uma história à minha amiga.  
If you use the pronoun lhe, you keep não before the verb as well:  
- Eu não lhe conto uma história.

Eu conto uma história à minha amiga.

Breakdown of Eu conto uma história à minha amiga.

Questions & Answers about Eu conto uma história à minha amiga.

Master Portuguese — from Eu conto uma história à minha amiga to fluency