Eu guardo o aspirador na garagem.

I keep the vacuum cleaner in the garage.

Breakdown of Eu guardo o aspirador na garagem.

• eu: I
• em: in
• guardar: to keep
• a garagem: the garage
• o aspirador: the vacuum cleaner

Questions & Answers about Eu guardo o aspirador na garagem.

Do I need to say Eu, or can I drop it?

You can drop it. Portuguese is a “pro‑drop” language, and the verb ending already shows the subject.

• With emphasis/contrast: Eu guardo o aspirador na garagem.
• Neutral/natural: Guardo o aspirador na garagem.

Why is it o aspirador and not um aspirador or no article at all?

• o aspirador = “the vacuum cleaner” (a specific, known one — typically the one in your home). This is the most natural here.
• um aspirador = “a vacuum cleaner” (one of several/unspecified).
• No article (e.g., guardo aspirador) is generally incorrect with countable singular nouns in Portuguese.

What exactly does guardar mean here?

In European Portuguese, guardar commonly means “to store/keep/put away” (i.e., the vacuum’s usual place is the garage). It can also mean “to keep safe,” “to save” (a file: guardar um ficheiro), or “to set aside/reserve.” It does not mean “to maintain” (that would be manter) and it’s not the everyday verb for simply placing something somewhere (see next question).

Could I use pôr, meter, or deixar instead of guardar?

Yes, depending on nuance:

• Pôr: placing something somewhere (action). Ponho o aspirador na garagem.
• Meter (very common in Portugal, informal/neutral): same as pôr. Meto o aspirador na garagem.
• Deixar: “leave” it there. Deixo o aspirador na garagem.
• Guardar: “put away/store” (that’s where it belongs). Guardo o aspirador na garagem.

What does na stand for?

na = contraction of em + a (“in/on + the” feminine). So na garagem = “in the garage.”

Why na garagem and not no garagem or em a garagem?

• garagem is feminine, so use na (not no, which is for masculine nouns).
• You must contract: em a garagem is ungrammatical; it becomes na garagem.
• Examples: no quarto (masc.), na cozinha (fem.).

How do I say to the garage (movement) instead of in the garage (location)?

• Location (where it ends up/is kept): na garagem.
• Destination (motion): commonly para a garagem or with the a-contraction after certain verbs:
  • Levo o aspirador para a garagem.
  • Vou à garagem. (I’m going to the garage.)
  • With “take to”: Levo o aspirador à garagem. (perfectly fine in Portugal)

Is garagem feminine? Are -gem words usually feminine?

Yes. a garagem is feminine. Many words ending in -gem are feminine: a viagem, a coragem, a mensagem.

Is the present tense guardei/guardo right for a general habit?

Yes. Guardo (present) expresses a habit or general truth: “I (usually) keep/put the vacuum away in the garage.”
Note: guardei is past (I kept/put away).

How do I pronounce the sentence in European Portuguese?

Approximate guide (EP):

• Eu: like “ehw,” said quickly.
• guardo: “GWAR-doo” (the r is a single tap).
• o aspirador: the s before p sounds like “sh”: “oo ash-pee-rah-DOR” (the d between vowels softens).
• na garagem: “nah gah-RA-zhem” (the j/g in garagem is like the “zh” in “vision”; final “em” is nasal). Said naturally: something like “ehw GWAR-du oo ash-pee-rah-DOR nah gah-RA-zhem.”

How would I replace o aspirador with “it”?

Use the direct object pronoun o (masc. singular). In European Portuguese, in a simple affirmative sentence the pronoun attaches to the verb:

• Guardo-o na garagem. (I keep it in the garage.) With negation or certain triggers (e.g., não, nunca), it goes before the verb:
• Não o guardo na garagem.

How do I say I’m going to put it away in the garage?

In Portugal, with “ir + infinitive” and the pronoun attached to the infinitive:

• Vou guardá-lo na garagem. Obligation example:
• Tenho de o guardar na garagem. (Portugal; also heard: Tenho que o guardar…)

Is aspirador de pó used in Portugal?

In Portugal people usually just say aspirador. aspirador de pó is common in Brazil. You might hear specific types in PT like aspirador de mão (handheld) or aspirador robô.

How would I ask Where do you keep the vacuum cleaner? in Portugal?

Informal (tu):

• Onde guardas o aspirador?
• More idiomatic: Onde é que guardas o aspirador? More formal/polite (o senhor/a senhora/você):
• Onde é que guarda o aspirador?

How do I say my/our old vacuum cleaner?

• Possessives usually take the article in Portugal: o meu aspirador, o nosso aspirador.
• Adjectives typically follow the noun: o meu aspirador velho.
• Before the noun can add a different nuance (often subjective): o meu velho aspirador (my old/longtime vacuum, possibly with affection).

What are the plural forms?

• os aspiradores (vacuum cleaners)
• as garagens (garages) Example: Guardo os aspiradores na garagem. / Guardo os aspiradores nas garagens. (depending on context)