Breakdown of Eu passo o ferro na camisa devagar, para que não a queime.
eu
I
não
not
devagar
slowly
para que
so that
queimar
to burn
a camisa
the shirt
a
it
passar o ferro
to iron
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Questions & Answers about Eu passo o ferro na camisa devagar, para que não a queime.
What does passar o ferro mean in this sentence?
Passar o ferro literally means “to iron.” Here, ferro refers to the iron (the appliance). It’s a common Portuguese expression: passar o ferro = “to iron clothes.”
Why is there an article in o ferro? Couldn’t it just be ferro?
In Portuguese, appliances and instruments usually take a definite article. You say o ferro, a máquina, o computador. Dropping the article (ferro) sounds unnatural or overly generic.
Why does the sentence use na camisa instead of em a camisa or just a camisa?
Na is the contraction of em + a (preposition + feminine definite article). You need em to indicate “on” or “in,” and a because camisa is feminine. So na camisa means “on the shirt.”
Why is it para que não a queime with para que + subjunctive, rather than para não queimar a camisa with an infinitive?
Portuguese offers two main ways to express purpose:
- para que
- subjunctive (here, queime) is used when you introduce a subordinate clause and often emphasizes a change of subject or formal style.
- para
- infinitive (here, não queimar a camisa) is more direct and common in informal speech. Both are correct; para que não a queime sounds slightly more formal or precise.
What is the pronoun a doing before queime?
That a is the direct object pronoun referring back to a camisa (feminine). In subjunctive clauses introduced by para que, pronoun placement is proclitic (pronoun before the verb): não a queime.
Could I rephrase it as para não queimá-la?
Yes. Para não queimá-la uses the infinitive plus enclisis (pronoun attached to the end). It’s equally correct and common: “Eu passo o ferro na camisa devagar, para não queimá-la.”
Can I move the adverb devagar elsewhere in the sentence?
Absolutely. Portuguese allows flexibility with adverbs. You can say:
- Eu passo devagar o ferro na camisa…
- Eu passo o ferro na camisa devagar… All these orders are grammatically correct and sound natural.
What’s the difference between devagar and lentamente?
Both mean “slowly.” Devagar is more colloquial, while lentamente is a bit more formal or literary. You can swap them freely: “Eu passo o ferro na camisa lentamente, para que não a queime.”