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Questions & Answers about Eu subo a colina devagar.
Why is eu used when Portuguese often drops subject pronouns?
In Portuguese the verb ending already indicates the subject, so you can omit eu. It’s included here for emphasis or clarity. The shorter sentence Subo a colina devagar is equally correct and very common in everyday speech.
How is subo formed from subir?
Subo is the first-person singular present indicative of subir (“to climb” or “to go up”). You take the stem sub- and add the ending -o, which corresponds to eu in -ir verbs.
Why do we say a colina instead of just colina?
Portuguese usually requires a definite article before a noun. Here a is the feminine singular article, equivalent to English the. If you want an indefinite sense, you’d say uma colina (“a hill”).
Why don’t we write à colina (with a grave accent)?
À is the contraction of the preposition a + the definite article a. In Subo a colina, that a is only the article, not a preposition, so no contraction. If you said Vou a + a colina, you would contract to Vou à colina (“I go to the hill”).
Why is devagar placed at the end of the sentence?
Adverbs of manner in Portuguese typically follow the verb or verb phrase. Placing devagar after subo a colina sounds natural. You could also say Eu subo devagar a colina, but it changes the emphasis slightly.
Can I use lentamente instead of devagar?
Yes. Lentamente is a more formal adverb meaning “slowly,” whereas devagar is more colloquial. Both work: Eu subo a colina lentamente.
What’s the difference between subir a colina and subir até a colina?
Subir a colina treats the hill as the direct object (“I climb the hill”). Subir até a colina uses até to indicate movement up to a point: “I climb up until I reach the hill.”