Eu vejo um castanheiro no jardim.

I see a chestnut tree in the garden.

Breakdown of Eu vejo um castanheiro no jardim.

• eu: I
• um: a
• em: in
• o jardim: the garden
• ver: to see
• o castanheiro: the chestnut tree

Questions & Answers about Eu vejo um castanheiro no jardim.

Why is eu used? Is it necessary?

In Portuguese the verb ending already indicates the subject (here -o in vejo means “I”). So eu (“I”) is not strictly necessary and is often omitted in everyday speech:
• Vejo um castanheiro no jardim.
You include eu only for emphasis or clarity.

What tense and person is vejo, and how does it relate to the verb ver?

Vejo is the present indicative, first‐person singular form of the verb ver (“to see”).
• ver (infinitive) → eu vejo (I see)
It tells you who is doing the action (I) and when (right now).

Why do we say um castanheiro instead of o castanheiro, or can we omit the article?

Um castanheiro uses the indefinite article um (“a”) because you’re introducing one chestnut tree, not a specific one already known to the listener.
• If you had already mentioned or both know the tree, you’d say o castanheiro (“the chestnut tree”).
• You generally cannot drop the article before singular countable nouns, so vejo castanheiro sounds unnatural.

What is the gender and number of castanheiro, and how do we form its plural?

Castanheiro is a masculine singular noun. To make it plural, change -o to -os:
• Singular: um castanheiro
• Plural: dois castanheiros (“two chestnut trees”)
And if you use the definite article it becomes o castanheiro → os castanheiros.

Why do we say no jardim instead of em o jardim or na jardim?

No is the contraction of em + o (“in + the” masculine).
• em o jardim → contracted to no jardim
You’d use na (em + a) only if the noun were feminine, e.g. na sala (“in the living room”).

What’s the difference between ver and olhar?

• ver = “to see,” passive perception (your eyes register something).
• olhar = “to look (at),” an intentional action: you direct your gaze.
Example:
• Eu vejo um castanheiro. (I see a chestnut tree.)
• Eu olho para o castanheiro. (I look at the chestnut tree.)

Can we say eu vejo castanheiros no jardim to mean “I see chestnut trees in the garden”?

Yes. Drop the article if you mean chestnut trees in general (plural, unspecified):
• Eu vejo castanheiros no jardim. = “I see (some) chestnut trees in the garden.”
If you keep the article: Eu vejo os castanheiros no jardim. = “I see the chestnut trees in the garden” (those we both know).

Can we change the word order, for example No jardim vejo um castanheiro? Is that correct?

Yes. Portuguese allows some flexibility for emphasis or style.
• No jardim vejo um castanheiro.
focuses first on where you see it.
Word order changes are fine as long as you keep subject–verb agreement and clarity.