Eu sento-me ao lado do Pedro no estádio.

I sit next to Pedro in the stadium.

Breakdown of Eu sento-me ao lado do Pedro no estádio.

• eu: I
• Pedro: Pedro
• de: of
• em: in
• sentar-se: to sit
• a: at
• o estádio: the stadium
• o lado: the side

Questions & Answers about Eu sento-me ao lado do Pedro no estádio.

Why do we say sento-me and not just sento?

In European Portuguese, sentar-se is a pronominal verb when it means to sit (down).

• sentar (without -se) is normally transitive:
  
  • Eu sento a criança na cadeira. = I sit the child on the chair. (I make the child sit.)
• sentar-se means to sit oneself down (what English just calls to sit):
  
  • Eu sento-me. = I sit (myself) down.

So Eu sento-me ao lado do Pedro literally is “I sit myself next to Pedro”.
Just Eu sento ao lado do Pedro sounds incomplete, as if you should be sitting someone/something next to Pedro.

What is the infinitive of sento-me?

The infinitive is sentar-se.

Conjugated in the present (European Portuguese):

• eu sento-me – I sit (myself)
• tu sentas-te – you sit (yourself) (informal singular)
• ele / ela senta-se – he / she sits (himself / herself)
• nós sentamo-nos – we sit (ourselves)
• vocês sentam-se – you (all) sit (yourselves)
• eles / elas sentam-se – they sit (themselves)

Why is the pronoun after the verb (sento-me) instead of before (me sento)?

That’s a key difference between European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese:

• In European Portuguese, the default order in a simple affirmative sentence is verb + clitic pronoun (enclisis):
  
  • Eu sento-me ao lado do Pedro.
• In Brazilian Portuguese, the usual spoken order is pronoun + verb (proclisis):
  
  • Eu me sento ao lado do Pedro.

So both orders exist in the language, but Portugal normally uses sento-me in this kind of neutral sentence, while Brazil prefers me sento.

Could we drop Eu and just say Sento-me ao lado do Pedro no estádio?

Yes.

Portuguese is a “null-subject” language: the verb ending already shows the person, so you can often omit the subject pronoun:

• Eu sento-me ao lado do Pedro.
• Sento-me ao lado do Pedro.

Both are correct. Including eu often adds emphasis or contrast (e.g. Eu sento-me ao lado do Pedro, mas tu sentas-te ao lado do Rui).

What does ao lado de literally mean, and how is it used?

ao lado de is a fixed expression meaning “next to / beside”.

Literally it’s:

• a (to / at) + o (the) = ao
• lado (side)
• de (of)

So ao lado de ≈ “at the side of”, but in real usage it simply means next to / beside:

• ao lado do Pedro – next to Pedro
• ao lado da escola – next to the school
• ao lado de mim – next to me
• ao lado de ti – next to you

Why is it ao lado do Pedro and not ao lado de Pedro?

Because in European Portuguese, personal names usually take the definite article.

• do = de + o (of + the)
• ao lado do Pedro = “next to (the) Pedro”

So the structure is:

• ao lado de + o Pedro → ao lado do Pedro

Using a name without the article (e.g. ao lado de Pedro) is possible in more formal, written, or poetic style, but everyday European Portuguese uses the article:

• Conheço o Pedro. – I know Pedro.
• Vou falar com o Pedro. – I’m going to talk to Pedro.
• Sento-me ao lado do Pedro. – I sit next to Pedro.

What exactly is do in ao lado do Pedro and no in no estádio?

They are contractions of a preposition + the masculine singular article o:

• do = de + o → of / from + the
  
  • ao lado de + o Pedro → ao lado do Pedro
• no = em + o → in / on / at + the
  
  • em + o estádio → no estádio

Portuguese very often contracts prepositions with definite articles:

• de + a = da (da escola – from the school)
• a + a = à (à escola – to the school)
• em + a = na (na escola – in the school)

Why is it no estádio and not just em estádio or no estádio de Pedro?

In this context, we are talking about a specific stadium, so Portuguese normally uses the definite article:

• no estádio = in the stadium
• Without the article (em estádio) would sound incomplete or too abstract (“in a stadium” as a concept).

If you add more detail, you keep the article:

• no estádio do Benfica – in Benfica’s stadium
• no estádio da cidade – in the city’s stadium

Is Eu sento-me ao lado do Pedro no estádio talking about a habit or about what’s happening right now?

The present tense in Portuguese can express both:

1. Habit / general fact

   • Eu sento-me ao lado do Pedro no estádio.
     = I usually sit next to Pedro in the stadium (whenever we go).

2. Action happening now, if the context makes it clear:

   • At the moment of choosing seats:
     Eu sento-me ao lado do Pedro no estádio.
     = I’ll sit / I am sitting next to Pedro in the stadium.

To emphasize a current ongoing state (“I am sitting”), Portuguese would more likely say:

• Estou sentado ao lado do Pedro no estádio. – I am (in the state of being) seated next to Pedro in the stadium.

What is the difference between sento-me and estou sentado?

• sento-me focuses on the action of sitting down (or the repeated action):
  
  • Eu sento-me ao lado do Pedro.
    = I sit (down) next to Pedro / I (usually) sit next to Pedro.
• estou sentado focuses on the state of already being seated:
  
  • Eu estou sentado ao lado do Pedro.
    = I am sitting / I am seated next to Pedro (right now).

English uses the same verb to sit for both action and state; Portuguese tends to distinguish sentar-se (action) from estar sentado (state).

Could we say Perto do Pedro instead of ao lado do Pedro?

Yes, but the meaning changes slightly:

• ao lado do Pedro = right next to Pedro, at his side.
• perto do Pedro = near Pedro, but not necessarily immediately next to him.

So:

• Sento-me ao lado do Pedro. – I sit next to Pedro.
• Sento-me perto do Pedro. – I sit near Pedro (maybe one or two seats away).

How would this sentence change with different subjects (you, he, we, etc.)?

Using sentar-se in the present (European Portuguese):

• Eu sento-me ao lado do Pedro no estádio. – I sit next to Pedro in the stadium.
• Tu sentas-te ao lado do Pedro no estádio. – You sit next to Pedro in the stadium.
• Ele / Ela senta-se ao lado do Pedro no estádio. – He / She sits next to Pedro in the stadium.
• Nós sentamo-nos ao lado do Pedro no estádio. – We sit next to Pedro in the stadium.
• Vocês sentam-se ao lado do Pedro no estádio. – You (plural) sit next to Pedro in the stadium.
• Eles / Elas sentam-se ao lado do Pedro no estádio. – They sit next to Pedro in the stadium.

How is sento-me ao lado do Pedro no estádio pronounced in European Portuguese?

Approximate IPA (European Portuguese):

• Eu sento-me ao lado do Pedro no estádio.
  /ew ˈsẽtumi aw ˈlaðu du ˈpeðɾu nu (i)ʃˈtaðju/

Some key points:

• en in sento is a nasal vowel [ẽ].
• do Pedro → the d before a vowel often sounds like a soft ð (like th in this).
• estádio: stress on -tá- → es-TÁ-dio, with é open and di often sounding like [ðj] or [dj].
• In natural speech many vowels are reduced and the whole sentence sounds quite connected.

Can this sentence also mean “I will sit next to Pedro in the stadium” (future)?

Yes, in the right context.

Portuguese often uses the present tense for a near future or a planned action, especially when context or adverbs clarify the time:

• Amanhã, eu sento-me ao lado do Pedro no estádio.
  = Tomorrow, I’ll sit next to Pedro in the stadium.

For a more explicit future, you could say:

• Vou sentar-me ao lado do Pedro no estádio. – I’m going to sit next to Pedro in the stadium.
• Sentar-me-ei ao lado do Pedro no estádio. – I will sit next to Pedro in the stadium (very formal / literary).