Breakdown of Na biblioteca, eu escolho sempre um romance policial para ler à noite.
Questions & Answers about Na biblioteca, eu escolho sempre um romance policial para ler à noite.
Na is a contraction of em + a = na (in the + feminine noun).
- em + a biblioteca → na biblioteca = in the library
- You can’t say em a biblioteca in normal speech or writing; it always contracts.
- em biblioteca (without the article) sounds wrong here. In Portuguese, you usually use the definite article with places: na biblioteca, na escola, no supermercado, etc.
Because biblioteca is feminine, it takes a → na. If it were a masculine noun, you’d get no (em + o):
- no museu (in the museum)
- na biblioteca (in the library)
Both are contractions of em + definite article, but with different genders:
- na = em + a → used with feminine nouns
- na biblioteca (in the library)
- na escola (at school)
- no = em + o → used with masculine nouns
- no banco (at the bank)
- no restaurante (in the restaurant)
So you choose na/no based on the grammatical gender of the noun.
Yes. Both are correct:
- Na biblioteca, eu escolho sempre um romance policial…
- Eu escolho sempre um romance policial na biblioteca…
Starting with Na biblioteca is just a stylistic choice to set the scene first (“As for when I’m in the library…”). Portuguese is flexible with adverbial phrases of time and place; moving them to the front often adds emphasis or makes the sentence flow more naturally in storytelling.
The comma separates an introductory adverbial phrase (Na biblioteca) from the main clause (eu escolho sempre…).
In Portuguese (and in English), it’s common and usually recommended to put a comma after a fronted phrase of time or place:
- À noite, leio.
- Em casa, estudo.
It’s mostly a matter of clarity and style. You might sometimes see it written without the comma in informal texts, but with the comma is the standard way.
You’re right: in Portuguese, the subject pronoun is often omitted because the verb ending already shows the person:
- (Eu) escolho – I choose
- (Tu) escolhes – you choose
- (Ele) escolhe – he chooses
In this sentence, you could perfectly say:
- Na biblioteca, escolho sempre um romance policial…
Adding eu can:
- Emphasise the subject: I (as opposed to someone else) always choose a crime novel.
- Be simply a stylistic choice—some speakers naturally use eu more often, especially in speech.
So it’s not required, but it’s not wrong either.
Escolho is the present indicative, 1st person singular of escolher (to choose):
- eu escolho – I choose
- tu escolhes – you choose
- ele/ela escolhe – he/she chooses
Portuguese uses this tense for habitual actions, just like English uses the simple present:
- Eu escolho sempre… = I always choose… (this is my regular habit)
Escolher is the infinitive form (to choose). You would use escolher after another verb or preposition, not as the main conjugated verb of the sentence:
- Gosto de escolher romances policiais. – I like to choose crime novels.
In Portuguese, romance means a novel (a long work of fiction), not necessarily romantic. It’s a false friend with English romance.
- romance = novel
- romance policial = crime novel / detective novel
Policial here functions as an adjective meaning crime‑related / detective‑genre, not literally about the police in a straightforward way. So:
- um romance policial = a novel in the crime/detective genre
In Portuguese, you generally use an adjective to classify the kind of novel:
- romance histórico – historical novel
- romance romântico – romantic novel
- romance policial – crime/detective novel
Policial is the correct adjective derived from polícia (police).
Romance polícia would be incorrect; noun + noun like that is not how this genre name is formed in Portuguese.
Also note the article:
- um romance policial = a crime novel (any one, not a specific one)
Para + infinitive often expresses purpose:
- para ler = in order to read / to read
- escolho… para ler = I choose … to read (it)
You could say para eu ler (for me to read), but in most contexts it’s not necessary because it’s obvious who will read it:
- Escolho um romance policial para ler. – I choose a crime novel to read.
- Escolho um romance policial para eu ler. – I choose a crime novel for me to read (slight extra emphasis on me).
Just ler alone would sound like a fragment here; you normally need a link like para to indicate purpose.
À is the contraction of:
- a (preposition) + a (definite article) → à
So:
- a + a noite → à noite = at night
You generally write à with a grave accent when a (to / at) + a (the, feminine) combine:
- à escola – to the school
- à porta – at the door
- à noite – at night
A noite (without the accent) would mean the night as a plain noun phrase:
- A noite estava fria. – The night was cold.
Both can mean “at night / in the evening”, but there are small nuances:
à noite
- very common, slightly more neutral/standard
- often used like a fixed time expression: à noite, de manhã, à tarde
de noite
- also common, often sounds slightly more informal / descriptive
- can emphasise the time period a bit more: “(when it’s nighttime)”
In everyday speech, they can usually be swapped without changing the meaning much:
- Leio à noite.
- Leio de noite.
Both are fine.
You’re expressing purpose + time:
- para ler → purpose: in order to read
- à noite → time: at night
So the structure is:
- escolho… para ler à noite – I choose … to read at night
Na noite (in the night) would sound unusual here; it tends to be used in more specific, often dramatic or literary contexts:
- Na noite de Natal… – On Christmas night…
Para a noite would mean for the night (as a period), not to read at night:
- Guardo isto para a noite. – I’m saving this for tonight. (less explicit about what you’ll do)
Yes, you can move sempre, and the basic meaning (always) stays the same. Common options:
- Eu escolho sempre um romance policial…
- Eu sempre escolho um romance policial…
Both mean: I always choose a crime novel…
Subtle points:
- eu escolho sempre is very common and feels completely natural in European Portuguese.
- eu sempre escolho is also used, sometimes with a little more focus on always as a characteristic habit.
Other positions (e.g., eu escolho um romance policial sempre) are possible but may sound odd or need a very specific emphasis/prosody.
So, the sentence you have (eu escolho sempre…) is a very typical and natural word order.