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Questions & Answers about Eu comprei uma torradeira nova.
Do I need to include the subject pronoun Eu, or can I drop it?
You can drop it. The verb form comprei already shows first person singular, so Comprei uma torradeira nova is perfectly natural in European Portuguese. Keep Eu if you want emphasis or contrast (as in It was me who bought it): Eu comprei… or Fui eu que comprei…
What tense is comprei, and when do I use it?
Comprei is the Pretérito Perfeito Simples (simple past). Use it for a completed action in the past. It often corresponds to English simple past (I bought) and, in many contexts, to English present perfect (I’ve bought) when the result is relevant now. Don’t confuse it with Portuguese present perfect (tenho comprado), which usually means repeated actions up to now, not a single completed purchase.
How do I say I’ve just bought one?
Use Acabei de comprar uma torradeira nova. You can also say Comprei agora uma torradeira nova to convey the idea of just now.
Is comprar regular? How do I conjugate it in the past?
Yes, it’s a regular -ar verb. Pretérito Perfeito (European Portuguese):
- Eu: comprei
- Tu: compraste
- Ele/ela/você: comprou
- Nós: comprámos (note the accent in EP)
- Eles/elas/vocês: compraram
In EP, comprámos (with an accent) marks past; compramos (no accent) is present.
Why uma and nova (feminine) here?
Because torradeira is a feminine noun. Determiners and adjectives agree in gender and number:
- Singular: uma torradeira nova
- Plural: umas torradeiras novas
Can I say uma nova torradeira instead of uma torradeira nova? Does it change the meaning?
Both are possible, but word order can add nuance:
- uma torradeira nova (adjective after the noun) typically describes the state: the toaster is new/unused.
- uma nova torradeira (adjective before the noun) often implies another/different toaster, new to you, not necessarily emphasizing brand-new condition. Context decides, but the postposed adjective is the neutral descriptive choice.
Why is the adjective after the noun in the original sentence?
In Portuguese, descriptive adjectives usually follow the noun (torradeira nova). Placing them before the noun is also possible, but it tends to add a subjective or stylistic nuance (e.g., emphasizing novelty, quantity, or evaluation).
How do I say I didn’t buy a new toaster?
Não comprei uma torradeira nova.
To stress none at all: Não comprei nenhuma torradeira nova.
If you replace the noun with a pronoun: Não a comprei.
How do I say I bought it (referring to the toaster)?
In European Portuguese, use a clitic pronoun attached to the verb:
- Affirmative: Comprei-a. (I bought it — feminine)
- With triggers like negation or já/ainda, the pronoun goes before the verb: Não a comprei. / Já a comprei. Pronoun set: o, a, os, as (agree in gender and number with the noun).
How do I ask Did you buy a new toaster? informally vs. formally?
- Informal (tu): Compraste uma torradeira nova?
- Formal/Polite (você / o senhor / a senhora): Comprou uma torradeira nova? Subject pronouns are often dropped in speech unless needed for clarity.
Where do time words like yesterday or already go?
- Ontem comprei uma torradeira nova. / Comprei uma torradeira nova ontem.
- Já comprei uma torradeira nova. Adverbs like ontem can go before or after the verb phrase; já commonly appears before the verb.
How should I pronounce the sentence in European Portuguese?
Approximate guide:
- Eu ≈ ew
- comprei ≈ kõm-PREY (the first vowel is nasal; -ei sounds like English ay)
- uma ≈ OO-mɐ (final a is a reduced uh sound)
- torradeira ≈ toh-hah-DAY-rɐ (the rr is a guttural h-like sound; final a reduced)
- nova ≈ NOH-vɐ (stressed open o; final a reduced)
Put together: ew kõm-PREY OO-mɐ toh-hah-DAY-rɐ NOH-vɐ.
Can I drop the article and say Comprei torradeira nova?
Not in standard European Portuguese for a singular countable noun. You normally need the article: Comprei uma torradeira nova. Bare singulars like that are unidiomatic here.
How do I say We bought a new toaster (vs. We buy a new toaster)?
- Past: (Nós) comprámos uma torradeira nova.
- Present: (Nós) compramos uma torradeira nova. In EP the accent in comprámos distinguishes past from present.
How can I emphasize brand-new?
- Comprei uma torradeira novíssima.
- Comprei uma torradeira nova em folha. Colloquial EP also allows Comprei-me uma torradeira nova (treating yourself), or more neutral: Comprei uma torradeira nova para mim.
How do I say who I bought it for or from?
- For someone: Comprei uma torradeira nova para a minha mãe.
- From someone: Comprei a torradeira nova ao João. (a + o → ao, meaning from João)
- From a shop/place: Comprei a torradeira na Fnac.
Any differences with Brazilian Portuguese I should know?
- Form is the same, but pronoun placement differs in speech. EP prefers clitics attached to the verb (Comprei-a). In Brazil, you’ll often hear Comprei ela in informal speech (standard BP allows Comprei-a, but it’s less common in conversation).
- In BP, nós compramos can be present or past (context disambiguates); EP uses comprámos for the past.
What’s the difference between novo and de novo?
- novo/nova = new.
- de novo = again.
So uma torradeira nova is a new toaster; Comprei uma torradeira de novo means I bought a toaster again.