Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): A tigela na qual misturei o limão tem tampa, mas agora vou destapá‑la. - The bowl in which I mixed the lemon has a lid, but now I’m going to uncover it.

A tigela em que misturei o limão… is the most neutral, everyday choice.
A tigela onde misturei o limão… is also very common; although strictly spatial, Portuguese often uses onde with containers/places.
A tigela na qual… is correct but sounds more formal or written.

Why not just say A tigela que misturei o limão…?

Because the verb pattern is essentially “mix X in Y,” which requires the preposition em before the relative. You need to keep the preposition:

✅ A tigela em que/na qual misturei o limão…
❌ A tigela que misturei o limão… (missing the needed preposition)

What exactly is na in na qual?

It’s a contraction: na = em + a. It agrees with the feminine noun tigela. For masculine you’d get no = em + o (e.g., o recipiente no qual…).

Why is the object pronoun attached in destapá‑la instead of standing before the verb?

European Portuguese typically places clitics after infinitives and gerunds, and after many finite verbs in affirmative clauses. With a periphrastic future like vou + infinitive, the default is to attach the pronoun to the infinitive:

✅ Vou destapá‑la.
Less common in EP: Vou‑a destapar.

Why is it ‑la and not just a after the verb?

When attaching the direct‑object pronouns o, a, os, as to a verb that ends in ‑r, ‑s, or ‑z, Portuguese:

drops that final consonant, and
turns the pronoun into ‑lo, ‑la, ‑los, ‑las. So: destapar + a → destapá‑la.

What’s the accent in destapá‑la for?

Adding the clitic creates an extra syllable that would otherwise shift the stress. The accent marks the intended stress and preserves the original stress of the verb:

destapar → des‑ta‑PAR (stress on the last syllable)
- ‑la → des‑ta‑PÁ‑la (accent keeps the stress where it belongs)

Other examples:

fazer + o → fazê‑lo
comer + as → comê‑las
amar + os → amá‑los

What if I negate it? Do I still say vou destapá‑la?

Both forms are used in European Portuguese:

Não a vou destapar. (proclisis to the auxiliary; very common and “safer” in writing)
Não vou destapá‑la. (clitic on the infinitive; also widely heard)

Does ‑la refer to the bowl or the lid?

Formally, ‑la just marks “feminine singular,” so it could match either a tigela or a tampa. But idiomatically you normally destapar a tigela/panela, not “destapar a tampa” (you’d say tirar a tampa for the lid). So here ‑la most naturally refers to a tigela.

To remove ambiguity you could say:

…mas agora vou destapar a tigela.
Or, if you mean the lid: …mas agora vou tirar a tampa.

Is tem tampa natural, or should it be tem uma tampa?

Both are possible, but tem tampa is very natural when stating an inherent/available feature, much like “it has a lid” as a property. Tem uma tampa is fine too, but it can sound a bit more specific or countable (“it has one lid”).

Is misturei o limão idiomatic, or should it be something like “lemon juice”?

It’s fine and means you mixed “the lemon” (as an ingredient). If you want to be explicit, you can say o sumo de limão (lemon juice) or name what you mixed it with:

Misturei o limão em/na tigela.
Misturei o sumo de limão com açúcar.

What prepositions does misturar take?

Common patterns:

misturar X com Y = mix X with Y
misturar X em Y / na Y = mix X into/in Y (container) Hence the need for em in the relative clause: na qual/em que.

Could I use aonde instead of onde?

Not here. Aonde is used for motion (“to where”). You’re talking about location within a container, so use onde or em que/na qual:

✅ A tigela onde/em que/na qual misturei…
❌ A tigela aonde misturei…

Is destampar also correct? And is descobrir a synonym?

In Portugal, destapar is the usual verb for removing a lid/cover. Destampar exists but is more common in Brazil.
Descobrir mostly means “to discover/find out,” so don’t use it for removing a lid (false friend). For lids you’d use destapar or tirar a tampa.

How would this change in the plural or with masculine nouns?

Agreement adapts:

Feminine plural: As tigelas nas quais misturei… vou destapá‑las.
Masculine singular: O recipiente no qual… vou destapá‑lo.
Masculine plural: Os recipientes nos quais… vou destapá‑los.

Any quick pronunciation tips for tricky bits?

des in destapá‑la: the final s of the syllable is pronounced like “sh” in European Portuguese: [dɨʃ].
Stress: keep the stress on ‑pá‑ in destapá‑la (that’s why the accent is there).
tigela: ti‑GE‑la, with the g as in “measure” [ʒ].

Could I say this more simply without a relative clause?

Yes, for everyday speech:

Misturei o limão na tigela. Ela tem tampa, mas agora vou destapá‑la. Or even:
Misturei o limão na tigela, que tem tampa, mas agora vou destapá‑la.