Breakdown of A garrafa no interior da mala mantém a água fresca para matar a sede.
a água
the water
de
of
em
in
para
to
manter
to keep
a garrafa
the bottle
fresco
fresh
a sede
the thirst
o interior
the interior
a mala
the suitcase
matar
to quench
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Questions & Answers about A garrafa no interior da mala mantém a água fresca para matar a sede.
Why does the sentence use no interior da mala instead of dentro da mala?
Both expressions mean “inside the bag,” but there’s a slight difference in style.
- no interior da mala literally means “in the interior of the bag,” and sounds a bit more formal or descriptive.
- dentro da mala is more colloquial and direct.
You can use either; they’re interchangeable in most contexts.
Why is it no and not na interior?
In Portuguese, no is the contraction of em + o (the masculine article). Here, interior is a masculine noun (o interior), so you say no interior. If you had a feminine noun—for example capa—you would use na (em + a).
Why does the sentence use a garrafa, a água and a sede with the definite article?
Portuguese often uses the definite article before nouns even when English omits it.
- a garrafa (“the bottle”)
- a água (“the water”)
- a sede (“thirst”)
In this sentence, we’re referring to specific concepts (the particular bottle, the water inside it, the thirst you want to quench), so the definite article is natural.
What kind of verb is manter, and why is it written mantém with an accent?
Manter is an irregular verb meaning “to keep” or “to maintain.”
- mantém is the 3rd person singular present indicative (ele/ela mantém).
- The accent on ê marks the stressed syllable and distinguishes mantém from other forms (e.g., mantem without an accent isn’t a standard verb form).
Why is the word order A garrafa no interior da mala mantém a água fresca instead of moving no interior da mala to the end?
Portuguese is reasonably flexible with adverbial phrases, but the default order is:
Subject → Adverbial phrase (location/time) → Verb → Object.
Putting no interior da mala right after A garrafa emphasizes where the bottle is. You could also say:
“A garrafa mantém a água fresca no interior da mala.”
and the meaning stays the same.
Why does the adjective fresca come after água?
In Portuguese, adjectives typically follow the noun they modify (though there are exceptions for emphasis or style). So água fresca means “fresh water,” with fresca directly after água.
What does para matar a sede mean, and how is it formed?
- para
- infinitive expresses purpose (“in order to”).
- matar a sede literally means “to kill thirst,” an idiomatic way to say “to quench thirst.”
So para matar a sede = “to quench (one’s) thirst.”
Can you use another verb instead of matar in “matar a sede”?
Yes, though matar a sede is the most common everyday expression. More formal alternatives include:
- saciar a sede
- satisfazer a sede
But in casual speech, people almost always say matar a sede.
Could the sentence use para beber água instead of para matar a sede?
Certainly, para beber água means “to drink water,” which is more literal. But para matar a sede focuses on satisfying thirst. Both are correct; you choose based on nuance.