Breakdown of O Pedro marca os aniversários dos amigos no calendário.
Pedro
Pedro
o amigo
the friend
o aniversário
the birthday
de
of
em
in
o calendário
the calendar
marcar
to mark
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Questions & Answers about O Pedro marca os aniversários dos amigos no calendário.
Why is there a definite article before Pedro?
In European Portuguese it’s common to use the definite article before personal names, so O Pedro literally means “the Pedro” but functions like “Pedro” in English. This usage conveys familiarity and follows standard speech in Portugal.
What does marca mean in this sentence? Is it the same as “to mark” in English?
Yes. Marcar here means “to mark,” “to note down,” or “to record.” It implies that Pedro is indicating his friends’ birthday dates on the calendar.
Why do we have os aniversários dos amigos instead of just aniversários dos amigos?
The definite article os specifies that we’re talking about the known set of birthdays (those of his friends). Portuguese often uses definite articles with general or familiar groups: os aniversários means “the birthdays.”
What is the function of dos in aniversários dos amigos?
Dos is the contraction of de + os, meaning “of the.” So aniversários dos amigos literally translates as “birthdays of the friends” or “the friends’ birthdays.”
Why is no used before calendário, instead of em o?
No is the contraction of em + o (“in” + “the”). Portuguese frequently contracts prepositions with definite articles, so em o calendário becomes no calendário.
Could I say em um calendário instead of no calendário? What’s the difference?
Yes. Em um calendário means “in a calendar” (any calendar, indefinite). No calendário (“in the calendar”) implies a specific calendar known to the speaker—e.g., Pedro’s own calendar.
Why are both aniversários and amigos in the plural?
Because Pedro is marking multiple birthdays belonging to multiple friends. The plurals show that there’s more than one friend and more than one birthday.
Are there other verbs I could use instead of marcar here, like anotar or agendar?
Yes. You might use anotar (“to jot down”), apontar (“to note”), registar (“to register”), or agendar (“to schedule”). Marcar is very common in Portugal for marking dates or appointments, but each alternative adds a slight nuance:
• agendar often implies setting a formal appointment.
• anotar or apontar focus on simply writing something down.
• registar suggests an official record.