Question 1

What does contar mean in this sentence—“to count” or “to tell”?

Accepted Answer

Here contar means “to count” (as in adding up quantities). Although contar can also mean “to tell” (a story), the object o dinheiro (“the money”) makes it clear you’re counting, not narrating.

Question 2

Why is there a definite article before dinheiro?

Accepted Answer

In European Portuguese, abstract or uncountable nouns often take the definite article when referring to a specific amount or the general concept. So o dinheiro means “the money” you have or are handling. Saying conto dinheiro would imply “I count money” in general, not a particular sum.

Question 3

Can I drop the pronoun eu since conto already shows the first person?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Portuguese is a “pro-drop” language, so you can simply say Conto o dinheiro antes de pagar a conta. Including eu adds a bit of emphasis or clarity, but it’s not required.

Question 4

How do I express “before paying the bill” in Portuguese?

Accepted Answer

You use antes de + infinitive. Therefore “before paying” becomes antes de pagar, and “before paying the bill” is antes de pagar a conta. Note that you don’t use a gerund (-ndo form) here.

Question 5

Could I say antes de eu pagar a conta instead of antes de pagar a conta?

Accepted Answer

Yes, grammatically you can include eu if you want to emphasize the subject or if it differs from the main clause’s subject. But if it’s the same subject (you), it’s more idiomatic to omit it: antes de pagar a conta.

Question 6

Why do we say pagar a conta and not pagar o dinheiro?

Accepted Answer

Pagar takes the thing you owe as its object. A conta is “the bill” or “the check” (for example, in a restaurant). Dinheiro is what you use to pay, not what you pay. So you count the money (contar o dinheiro) and then pay the bill (pagar a conta).

Question 7

What’s the difference between conta and fatura?

Accepted Answer

In Portugal, conta is the everyday word for a bill or check—like at a café or restaurant. Fatura is a more formal “invoice” or itemized statement, such as for utilities or a business purchase.

Question 8

Why is the verb contar in the present tense here? Could I use a past tense?

Accepted Answer

The present simple (conto) describes a habitual or sequential action (“I count… then I pay”). If you want to state you did it in the past, you’d use the perfect: Contei o dinheiro antes de pagar a conta (“I counted the money before paying the bill”).

Eu conto o dinheiro antes de pagar a conta.

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