Breakdown of Marquei a data da viagem no meu calendário de parede.
meu
my
de
of
em
in
a viagem
the trip
a data
the date
marcar
to mark
o calendário de parede
the wall calendar
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Questions & Answers about Marquei a data da viagem no meu calendário de parede.
Why is it marquei and what tense does it represent?
Marquei is the first person singular of the preterite (pretérito perfeito simples) of marcar. It indicates you completed the action of marking the date in the past.
What does marcar mean in this sentence?
Here marcar means “to mark,” “to schedule,” or “to set” a date on the calendar. In English you might say “I marked the date” or “I set the date.”
Why do we include the article a before data da viagem?
In Portuguese most singular, feminine nouns (like data) require a definite article. So you say a data (“the date”) even on first mention. Then da is the contraction of de + a, giving “of the trip.”
Why is it no meu calendário instead of simply em meu calendário?
Portuguese typically uses the definite article with possessives: o meu calendário. When you combine em + o, you get the contraction no. So no meu = em o meu (“in my”).
What does de parede add to the meaning?
de parede literally means “of wall,” so calendário de parede is a “wall calendar.” It distinguishes it from other types like calendário de mesa (“desk calendar”).
Could I use a different verb instead of marcar here?
Yes. You could use agendar (“to schedule”) or assinalar (“to mark/highlight”). But marcar a data is the most common way to say “mark the date” on a calendar.
Is there any difference between European and Brazilian Portuguese in this sentence?
No significant difference here. Both variants would use Marquei a data da viagem no meu calendário de parede. In Brazil you might hear someone drop de parede and just say no meu calendário, just as in Portugal.
Why use the simple preterite (marquei) rather than a compound form like tenho marcado?
The simple preterite (pretérito perfeito simples) is the standard way in European Portuguese to report a single, completed action in the past. The compound form (tenho marcado) implies an ongoing or repeated action over time, which doesn’t fit “I marked the date once.”