Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): O meu saldo voltou ao normal depois de receber o salário na conta bancária. - My balance went back to normal after receiving my salary in the bank account.

In European Portuguese, possessives usually take the definite article: o meu, a minha, os meus, as minhas. Dropping the article (Meu saldo) is possible but sounds more marked/informal or emphatic. In everyday EP, O meu saldo is the default.

Could I say O saldo da minha conta instead of O meu saldo?

Yes. O saldo da minha conta is perfectly natural and a bit more explicit. It literally says “the balance of my account,” whereas O meu saldo assumes “balance” already points to your account.

What exactly does saldo mean here?

It’s your bank account balance. Note that saldo can also mean prepaid mobile credit in Portuguese; adding na conta bancária removes ambiguity.

Why is it voltou ao normal and not voltou para normal?

The idiom is voltar ao normal (“return to normal”). ao is the contraction of a + o, because voltar a is the pattern used with a noun like o normal. voltar para normal is not idiomatic here.

What’s the difference between voltar ao normal and ficar normal?

voltar ao normal: go back to a previous, usual state after a deviation.
ficar normal: become normal; it doesn’t inherently express “return,” just the end state. After a disruption, voltar ao normal is the idiomatic choice.

Why the past tense voltou and not voltava?

voltou (pretérito perfeito) marks a single, completed change (“it returned”). voltava (imperfect) would mean “was returning” or “used to return,” which doesn’t fit a one-off update to your balance.

Is depois de receber acceptable even though the subject changes (the balance vs. I)?

Yes. In EP, depois de + infinitive can be used with an understood subject from context. If you want to make the subject explicit (and avoid any ambiguity), use:

the personal infinitive: depois de eu receber / depois de recebermos
or a finite clause: depois de que eu receba/recebi (rare in EP; the infinitive options are preferred)

When should I use depois de ter recebido instead?

Use the perfect infinitive (ter recebido) when you want to highlight that receiving happened before the other event, or for a slightly more formal tone. Both depois de receber and depois de ter recebido are correct here.

Can I use após instead of depois de?

Yes. após is a bit more formal/literary: Após receber (o salário) na conta… / Após ter recebido… Avoid Brazilian depois que in Portugal; stick to depois de (with an infinitive or a finite clause introduced by depois de).

Why is it na conta bancária and not à conta bancária?

Because we’re talking about location. na = em + a (“in/on the”). à = a + a, typically used for motion/direction or certain time expressions, so à conta would be wrong here.

Do I need bancária? Could I just say na conta?

You can say na conta; it’s what people usually say. na conta bancária is just more explicit. In Portugal you might also hear na conta à ordem (current account).

Should I add a possessive to conta (na minha conta)?

Optional. Context usually makes it clear the account is yours. Use na minha conta (bancária) if you need to avoid ambiguity. Note that in EP the article is already inside na: na minha conta is the natural form.

Is salário the most natural word in Portugal?

Both salário and ordenado are common; ordenado is very idiomatic in Portugal for monthly pay. vencimento is more formal and frequent in the public sector.

Could I say entrou o salário na conta?

Yes. In Portugal it’s common to say o salário/ordenado entrou na conta (or foi creditado). In Brazil you’ll often hear caiu na conta; in Portugal caiu in this sense is less common.

Where can I place the time clause?

Either position is fine:

Depois de receber o salário na conta bancária, o meu saldo voltou ao normal.
O meu saldo voltou ao normal depois de receber o salário na conta bancária. If it comes first, use a comma.

What are ao and na contractions of?

ao = a + o (“to the”)
na = em + a (“in/on the”)

How do I avoid repeating o salário (use “receive it”)?

Use a pronoun with the infinitive:

depois de o receber (no contraction to do, because o is a pronoun)
depois de recebê-lo With perfect infinitive: depois de o ter recebido / depois de tê-lo recebido

Any agreement or gender points to watch?

saldo is masculine: o meu saldo.
conta is feminine: a minha conta (bancária); bancária agrees with conta.
o normal uses normal as a noun; as an adjective its plural is normais.

Why is it receber o salário and not just receber salário?

Portuguese typically uses the definite article for a specific, expected payment: receber o salário (your pay for the period). receber salário sounds generic or unnatural here.