Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Comprámos dois pares de colunas, as quais soam melhor com o router novo. - We bought two pairs of speakers, which sound better with the new router.

In European Portuguese, the acute accent in comprámos marks the 1st‑person plural preterite (simple past) of -ar verbs and shows the stressed syllable: com-PRÁ-mos = we bought. Without the accent, compramos is the present tense: COM-pra-mos = we buy/are buying. This accent helps disambiguate tense in EP. In Brazil, the accent is normally not written, so compramos can mean either “we buy” or “we bought,” depending on context.

Can I add the subject pronoun Nós?

Yes. Nós comprámos… is fine. Portuguese is a pro‑drop language, so the pronoun is often omitted unless you want emphasis or clarity. Comprámos… and Nós comprámos… mean the same thing here.

Is it acceptable to write Compramos (no accent) in Portugal?

In careful European Portuguese, you should write comprámos for the past. Writing compramos would normally be read as present. In informal texting some people omit accents, but it’s best not to, because it can change the tense.

Why is it dois pares and not duas pares?

Because par (pair) is masculine: o par / os pares. The numeral agrees with par, not with colunas. Hence dois pares de colunas, not “duas pares.”

Does dois pares de colunas mean four speakers?

Yes. Um par de colunas = two speakers (a stereo pair). Dois pares de colunas = two stereo pairs (four speakers total).

Could I just say Comprámos duas colunas?

Yes, that would usually be understood as one pair (two speakers). But dois pares de colunas makes it explicit that you bought two full pairs (four speakers), which is clearer if that’s what you mean.

Why is speakers translated as colunas?

In European Portuguese, colunas (short for colunas de som) commonly means “loudspeakers,” especially hi‑fi or tower speakers. Other options:

altifalantes (also common, somewhat more technical)
In Brazil, people often say caixas de som or alto-falantes.

What does as quais refer to here?

As quais is feminine plural and refers to colunas (feminine plural). If you wanted the pronoun to refer to pares (masculine plural), you’d use os quais:

Referring to colunas: …colunas, as quais soam melhor…
Referring to pares: …pares, os quais soam melhor…

Can I use que instead of as quais?

Yes. Que is by far the most common relative pronoun in everyday Portuguese:

Comprámos dois pares de colunas, que soam melhor com o router novo. Using (a/os/as) qual/quais is more formal or used after prepositions. Here, as quais is correct but more formal in tone.

Why is there a comma before as quais?

The comma marks a non‑restrictive (non‑defining) relative clause—extra information similar to English “which.” With the comma, you’re saying “we bought two pairs of speakers, which (by the way) sound better with the new router.” Without the comma, it would be restrictive: “the pairs of speakers that sound better,” i.e., specifying which ones you bought.

Why is it soam and not soa?

Because the subject is plural. As colunas (they) soam. If the subject were singular (a coluna), you’d use soa:

As colunas soam melhor…
A coluna soa melhor…

Is soar the right verb for “to sound”?

Yes. Soar means “to sound” (to have a certain sound). Use it to talk about how something sounds:

As colunas soam bem/melhor. Don’t use tocar here; tocar is “to play (music)/to touch,” not “to sound.” And ouvir is “to hear,” from the listener’s perspective.

Is melhor an adjective or an adverb here?

Here melhor functions as the comparative of the adverb bem (“well”): soam melhor = “sound better.” Don’t say “soam mais bem.” You can also say soam bem (“sound good”). If you compare explicitly, use do que:

…soam melhor com o router novo do que com o antigo.

Do I need to add do que to show a comparison?

It’s optional when the comparison is obvious from context. …soam melhor com o router novo naturally implies “than before/than with the old router.” If you want to be explicit, add it:

…melhor com o router novo do que com o antigo.

Why is it o router novo and not o novo router? Is there a difference?

Both orders are possible, with a nuance:

o novo router often means “the new (another, replacement) router” (new to the owner).
o router novo can emphasize “brand‑new/recently bought” or simply place the adjective in its more neutral, post‑nominal position. In everyday speech, both are used; context usually outweighs the nuance.

Is router a Portuguese word? How do people in Portugal say it?

In European Portuguese, router (masculine: o router) is widely used, especially for home internet equipment. You may also hear roteador, but that’s much more common in Brazil. People in Portugal often pronounce it roughly like “ROO-ter” or “ROW-ter” with a Portuguese r: [ˈʁu.tɨɾ] or [ˈʁaw.tɨɾ]; variation exists.

Should it be com o router novo or com um router novo?

com o router novo = with the new router (a specific one both speaker and listener know about—yours).
com um router novo = with a new router (not specific; just any new router). The original sentence suggests a specific, known device, hence o.

Any pronunciation tips for tricky bits?

Comprámos: stress on -PRÁ-.
soam: two syllables; the final -am is nasal in EP; the sequence often sounds like “SO-um.”
quais soam: the final s in quais links to the next word, often sounding like “quai-z soam.”
router: typically with a guttural Portuguese r; you’ll hear both “roo-ter” and “row-ter.”