Breakdown of No domingo queremos fazer um passeio na cidade.
querer
to want
a cidade
the city
em
in
em
on
Domingo
Sunday
fazer um passeio
to take a walk
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Questions & Answers about No domingo queremos fazer um passeio na cidade.
Why is it no domingo and not em domingo?
No is a contraction of em + o (in/on + the), so no domingo literally means on the Sunday, which in English is just on Sunday. You normally use no + day of the week to say on [a specific] day. Em domingo is grammatically possible but sounds unusual and is not what people say in everyday speech.
Does no domingo mean on Sunday, this Sunday, next Sunday, or every Sunday?
On its own, no domingo just means on Sunday, usually referring to a specific Sunday understood from context (for example, the coming one). To be very clear, people often say neste domingo (this Sunday) or no próximo domingo (next Sunday). To mean every Sunday, European Portuguese normally uses ao domingo or aos domingos.
Why is there no nós (we) in the sentence?
Portuguese is a pro‑drop language: subject pronouns are often left out because the verb ending shows who the subject is. The ending ‑mos in queremos already tells you it means we want. You can add nós (Nós queremos…) for emphasis or clarity, but it is not required.
Can I change the position of no domingo in the sentence?
Yes. No domingo queremos fazer um passeio na cidade is very natural, but you can also say Queremos fazer um passeio na cidade no domingo, which is equally common. You can even say No domingo, queremos fazer um passeio na cidade with a comma; putting the time expression at the beginning slightly emphasizes on Sunday.
Why is the verb queremos (present tense) used for a future plan?
In Portuguese, the present tense is often used for future plans or arrangements when there is a clear time expression, like no domingo. So No domingo queremos… naturally means On Sunday we want to… / We’re planning to…. You could also say No domingo vamos fazer um passeio na cidade (we are going to take a walk in the city), which sounds a bit more like a fixed plan.
What does fazer add in fazer um passeio? Why not just a verb for to walk?
Fazer um passeio is a fixed expression meaning to go for a walk / outing / trip. Literally it is to make/do a walk/outing, but in practice it works like English to take a walk. There is also the simple verb passear, which means to go for a walk / to stroll / to go out for a bit.
Is passeio only a walk on foot, or can it also be a drive or other kind of outing?
Passeio is quite broad. It can be a walk on foot, but also a short trip, a drive, or any leisure outing (for example, a boat trip could be um passeio de barco). The exact idea comes from context; here it most naturally suggests a walk or casual outing in the city.
Why is it um passeio and not o passeio?
Um passeio (a walk / an outing) is indefinite: it is just some outing, not one that was defined earlier. O passeio (the walk / the outing) would refer to a specific outing you already mentioned or both speakers know about. In this sentence, the speakers are just saying they want to go out for a walk, so the indefinite article um is used.
Why is it na cidade and not em a cidade or à cidade?
Na is the contraction of em + a (in + the), so na cidade means in the city. You almost never say em a cidade; you contract it to na cidade. À cidade (a + a cidade) would mean to the city, and you would use it with verbs of movement like ir à cidade (to go to the city), not with fazer um passeio na cidade (taking a walk in the city).
What is the difference between na cidade and pela cidade?
Na cidade means in the city, just giving the general location. Pela cidade (from por + a cidade) suggests around / through the city, emphasizing movement through different parts of it. So fazer um passeio na cidade is neutral, while fazer um passeio pela cidade makes you picture walking or moving around various streets and areas.
Can I leave out na cidade?
Yes. No domingo queremos fazer um passeio is a perfectly good sentence and just means On Sunday we want to go for a walk / outing, with no location specified. Adding na cidade specifies where the outing will take place.
Can I say No domingo queremos passear na cidade instead of fazer um passeio?
Yes, No domingo queremos passear na cidade is natural and means almost the same thing. Passear is a one‑word verb for going for a walk or strolling. Fazer um passeio can sound slightly more like going on an outing, but in many contexts they are interchangeable.
How do you pronounce No domingo queremos fazer um passeio na cidade in European Portuguese?
In a careful European accent, one possible pronunciation is:
[no duˈmĩɡu kɨˈɾemuʃ fɐˈzeɾ ũ pɐˈsɛju nɐ siˈðaðɨ].
Some notes: the final ‑e in cidade is a reduced sound [ɨ], ‑s in queremos sounds like sh [ʃ] here, and the final r in fazer is often quite soft and may be weakly pronounced depending on the region.
Is this sentence specifically European Portuguese, or would Brazilians say it the same way?
Grammatically and lexically, the sentence No domingo queremos fazer um passeio na cidade works in both European and Brazilian Portuguese. The main differences would be pronunciation and possibly a Brazilian preference for a gente quer instead of nós queremos / queremos in informal speech. But as a written sentence, it is fine in both varieties.
Why um passeio but na cidade? How do gender and articles work here?
Passeio is a masculine noun, so its indefinite article is um: um passeio. Cidade is feminine, so a cidade (the city), and with em it becomes na cidade. The articles and contractions always agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to.
Should there be a comma after No domingo?
Both No domingo queremos fazer um passeio na cidade and No domingo, queremos fazer um passeio na cidade are acceptable. In modern Portuguese, a short initial time expression like No domingo often appears without a comma, especially in informal writing. Adding a comma slightly separates and emphasizes the time phrase, but it is not obligatory here.