Breakdown of Eu guardo um talão na carteira para comprovar o pagamento no mercado.
eu
I
um
a
em
in
o mercado
the market
a carteira
the wallet
para
to
guardar
to keep
o talão
the receipt
comprovar
to prove
o pagamento
the payment
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Portuguese grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Eu guardo um talão na carteira para comprovar o pagamento no mercado.
What does guardar mean in this sentence? Is it the same as English "to guard"?
In European Portuguese, guardar means "to keep," "to store," or "to put away." It does not carry the English sense of "to guard" (protect). So Eu guardo here translates as "I keep."
Why is guardo in the present tense? Shouldn't it be past to say "I kept"?
Portuguese often uses the present tense for habitual or ongoing actions. Eu guardo expresses a regular habit: "I keep a receipt in my wallet" (whenever I shop).
What is a talão and how is it different from a recibo?
A talão is the small printed slip (till slip) you receive at checkout. A recibo is a more formal receipt or invoice, often hand-written or official. In everyday shopping you normally call it talão.
Why do we use um talão? Could I say o talão instead?
Um talão is indefinite ("a slip") because you’re talking about any receipt. If you meant a specific one already mentioned, you’d use the definite article: o talão ("the slip").
Why do we say na carteira instead of em a carteira or no carteira?
Portuguese contracts prepositions with articles. em + a becomes na (feminine), and em + o becomes no (masculine). Since carteira is feminine, em a carteira contracts to na carteira.
What’s the difference between provar and comprovar, and can I say para provar instead of para comprovar?
Provar means "to prove" or "to taste," whereas comprovar means "to prove/verify" or "to provide evidence." In this context comprovar o pagamento emphasizes showing evidence of payment. You could say para provar o pagamento, but comprovar sounds more precise when referring to evidence.
Why do we use no mercado? Could we say ao mercado or no supermercado?
No is em + o, indicating location ("in/at the market"). Ao mercado (a + o) would mean motion toward the market ("to the market"), not location. If you specifically mean a supermarket rather than a generic market, use no supermercado.
Do we need the article o before pagamento? Can I say para comprovar pagamento?
Portuguese typically uses definite articles before abstract or nominalized concepts. Para comprovar o pagamento ("to prove the payment") is the natural form. Omitting the article (para comprovar pagamento) is possible but sounds stilted or like a headline.
Can I swap the order to Eu guardo na carteira um talão?
Yes. Portuguese allows flexible word order. Eu guardo na carteira um talão simply shifts emphasis to na carteira, but both versions are grammatically correct and convey the same idea.