Um rato come queijo na cozinha.

A mouse eats cheese in the kitchen.

Breakdown of Um rato come queijo na cozinha.

• um: a
• comer: to eat
• em: in
• a cozinha: the kitchen
• o queijo: the cheese
• o rato: the mouse

Questions & Answers about Um rato come queijo na cozinha.

Why is the indefinite article um used before rato instead of the definite article o?

Because we’re introducing a rat in a general sense, not a specific one. Um is the masculine singular indefinite article (“a/an” in English). O is the masculine singular definite article (“the”).

Why is the verb come in the present tense instead of comeu (preterite) or está a comer (present continuous)?

Come is the third-person singular present indicative of comer (“to eat”), used for general or habitual actions: “A rat eats cheese in the kitchen.”

• Comeu would be the simple past (“ate”).
• Está a comer is the European Portuguese way to stress an ongoing action (“is eating”).

Why is there no preposition before queijo?

In Portuguese, comer is a direct-transitive verb, so its object follows without a preposition. Just like in English “eats cheese,” queijo is the direct object of come.

What does na stand for in na cozinha, and why do we use it?

Na is the contraction of em (“in”) + a (“the,” feminine singular). It shows location.
em + a = na
So na cozinha means in the kitchen.

Could we say num rato come queijo na cozinha?

No. Num is the contraction of em + um (“in a”). That would read “in a rat.” Here we need um rato because it’s simply the subject (“a rat”), not a location phrase.

How is cozinha pronounced, especially the z and nh?

Cozinha is pronounced [ku.'zi.ɲɐ]:

• z between vowels = voiced [z], like the “z” in “zero.”
• nh = [ɲ], the palatal nasal, like the “ny” in “canyon.”
• Final a is a reduced [ɐ], not a clear [a].

Can I move na cozinha to the beginning? For example, Na cozinha, um rato come queijo?

Yes. Placing the adverbial phrase first is fine and emphasizes the location. The meaning stays the same: “In the kitchen, a rat eats cheese.”

Why is rato masculine, and how do you say “a female rat”?

Rato is grammatically masculine. To refer to a female, you use rata.
Example: Uma rata come queijo na cozinha = “A (female) rat eats cheese in the kitchen.”