Uso colete quando pedalo no parque.

I wear a vest when I ride my bike in the park.

Breakdown of Uso colete quando pedalo no parque.

• eu: I
• em: in
• quando: when
• o parque: the park
• usar: to wear
• pedalar: to pedal
• o colete: the vest

Questions & Answers about Uso colete quando pedalo no parque.

Why is uso used for “I wear” instead of visto?

In Portuguese, usar (“to use”) is very common for wearing items like safety gear: uso colete literally “I use a vest.” You can also say visto colete (“I dress in/wear a vest”), but usar sounds more natural when you talk about putting on equipment or protective clothing.

Why is there no article before colete? Shouldn’t it be um colete or o colete?

When you speak about wearing something in a general, habitual sense, Portuguese often drops the article: uso colete = “I wear a vest” in general.
• uso um colete = “I wear a (any) vest” (emphasizes one vest)
• uso o colete = “I wear the vest” (refers to a specific vest already mentioned)

Why is the subject pronoun eu omitted before uso?

Portuguese is a “pro-drop” language: each verb form already indicates its subject. Uso unambiguously means “I use,” so you normally omit eu unless you want extra emphasis (“Eu uso colete!”).

What does pedalo mean? Why not ando de bicicleta?

Pedalo comes from pedalar (“to pedal”), so it focuses on that action: “I pedal.”
Andar de bicicleta (“to ride a bicycle”) is more general. Both are correct, but pedalar feels more dynamic and technical.

Why is the present tense used here? Could I use another tense?

The simple present (uso, pedalo) expresses regular or habitual actions (“I wear a vest whenever I ride in the park”), just like in English. If you wanted to talk about a past habit, you’d use the imperfect:
• Usava colete quando pedalava no parque.

What does no do in no parque?

No is the contraction of em + o, meaning “in the.” So no parque = “in the park.” For motion toward, you’d use ao (em + a):
• Vou ao parque. (“I’m going to the park.”)

Can I rearrange the clauses? For example, Quando pedalo no parque, uso colete?

Yes. You can start with the time clause without changing the meaning:
“Quando pedalo no parque, uso colete.”
It’s purely a stylistic choice which part you put first.

Could I use ao pedalar instead of quando pedalo?

Absolutely. Portuguese often uses ao + infinitive to mean “when [doing something]”:
“Ao pedalar no parque, uso colete.”
This is a bit more formal or concise, but it communicates the same idea.