Eu corto o limão às rodelas para o chá.

I slice the lemon into rounds for the tea.

Breakdown of Eu corto o limão às rodelas para o chá.

• eu: I
• para: for
• o chá: the tea
• cortar: to cut

Questions & Answers about Eu corto o limão às rodelas para o chá.

Why is eu used here? Can it be omitted?

Yes. In Portuguese, the subject pronoun is often left out because the verb ending already shows who the subject is. Corto already means I cut, so Corto o limão às rodelas para o chá is perfectly natural.

Including eu can add emphasis, contrast, or clarity. For example, Eu corto o limão, tu preparas o chá = I cut the lemon, you make the tea.

What form is corto?

Corto is the 1st person singular present indicative of cortar = to cut.

So:

• eu corto = I cut
• tu cortas = you cut
• ele/ela corta = he/she cuts

In this sentence, it can mean a habitual action (I cut the lemon into slices for tea) or something happening now, depending on context.

Why is it o limão and not just limão?