Breakdown of Usei o martelo para pregar a prateleira nova.
eu
I
novo
new
para
to
usar
to use
a prateleira
the shelf
o martelo
the hammer
pregar
to nail
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Questions & Answers about Usei o martelo para pregar a prateleira nova.
Why is the preposition para used before the infinitive pregar rather than another preposition?
In Portuguese, para + infinitive expresses purpose (“in order to do something”). So usei o martelo para pregar… means “I used the hammer in order to nail…”. Other prepositions like em, com or a would not convey the purpose sense that para gives here.
What tense and person is the verb form usei?
Usei is the simple past (pretérito perfeito) tense of usar, in the first person singular. It indicates a completed action in the past: “I used.”
Why does the adjective nova come after the noun prateleira?
In Portuguese, most descriptive adjectives follow the noun: prateleira nova = “new shelf.” Placing an adjective before the noun can add emphasis or a poetic nuance, but in everyday speech it typically follows.
Could we say usei um martelo instead of usei o martelo? Does it change the meaning?
Yes. Usei um martelo (“I used a hammer”) suggests any hammer, unspecified. Usei o martelo (“I used the hammer”) points to a particular hammer you have in mind. Both are correct but the article choice shifts from general to specific.
What exactly does pregar mean, and is it related to English pregnant or Spanish preguntar?
Pregar means “to nail” (to attach something using a nail). It’s not related to English pregnant or Spanish preguntar (“to ask”). Those are false friends that can confuse learners.
Why is the definite article o used before martelo? English often drops the article.
Portuguese frequently uses definite articles before nouns even when English does not. Here, o martelo simply means “the hammer,” and including the article is natural in European Portuguese.
Can the sentence structure change? For example, can you start with the purpose clause?
Yes. You can say Para pregar a prateleira nova, usei o martelo. This inversion is grammatically correct and puts extra focus on the purpose (“In order to nail the new shelf…”).
How do you pronounce prateleira in European Portuguese?
Approximate IPA: [pɾɐ.tɨ.ˈlej.ɾɐ]
- pɾ: a rolled/tapped R after P,
- ɐ: a reduced “uh” sound,
- tɨ: the close central unrounded vowel,
- lej: like English “lay,”
- final ɾɐ: tapped R + reduced “uh.”
Is there a more general verb than pregar for attaching something to a wall?
Yes. Fixar means “to fix/secure” and covers nails, screws, glue, etc. Pregar is specific to using nails.