O homem ganhou o prémio.

Because o means the here, and it appears before both nouns:

• o homem = the man
• o prémio = the prize

Portuguese usually uses the definite article before a specific noun much more regularly than English does. In this sentence, both the man and the prize are specific.

Word by word:

• O = the
• homem = man
• ganhou = won
• o = the
• prémio = prize / award

So the structure is very close to English:

• O homem = The man
• ganhou = won
• o prémio = the prize

Ganhar is the infinitive, meaning to win, to earn, or to gain, depending on context.

Ganhou is the form used here because the sentence talks about a completed action in the past:

• ganhar = to win
• ganhou = he won / she won / it won

So O homem ganhou o prémio means that the action is finished: the man already won the prize.

It is the pretérito perfeito simples in Portuguese, usually called the simple preterite in English explanations.

Here it means a single completed event in the past:

• O homem ganhou o prémio = The man won the prize

It is the 3rd person singular form of ganhar, because the subject is o homem.

Yes. Ganhar is a very common verb and can mean several related things, such as:

• to win — ganhar um prémio
• to earn — ganhar dinheiro
• to gain — ganhar experiência
• sometimes to get in certain expressions

In this sentence, because the object is o prémio, the natural meaning is to win the prize.

Prémio is the standard spelling in European Portuguese.

In Brazilian Portuguese, the usual spelling is prêmio.

This difference reflects pronunciation differences between Portugal and Brazil. Since your sentence is in Portuguese from Portugal, prémio is the correct form here.

The accent mark in prémio shows the stressed syllable and helps indicate vowel quality.

So the stress falls on pré-:

• PRÉ-mio

In European Portuguese, this spelling also matches the local pronunciation pattern. For learners, the most important thing is:

• the stress is on the first syllable
• the accent is part of the correct spelling

A rough English-friendly guide is guh-NYOH.

A few important points:

• nh is like the ny sound in canyon
• the stress is on the second syllable: ga-NHOU
• in European Portuguese, the final ou is usually not a strong English-style diphthong; it is closer to a simple o sound

So try something like:

• ga-NYOH

Not perfect, but a useful approximation.

Portuguese often leaves out subject pronouns when they are not needed.

Since ganhou already shows 3rd person singular, and the subject o homem is explicitly stated, adding ele would be unnecessary.

So:

• O homem ganhou o prémio = natural
• Ele ganhou o prémio = He won the prize
• O homem, ele ganhou o prémio = usually unnecessary in a neutral sentence

Portuguese is much more comfortable than English with leaving subject pronouns out when the meaning is clear.

Normally, no, not if you mean the prize.

If the prize is specific, you need the article:

• ganhou o prémio = won the prize

If it is not specific, you would usually say:

• ganhou um prémio = won a prize

So in this sentence, o prémio is the correct choice because it refers to a definite prize.

It is the same difference as the man versus a man in English:

• o homem = the man → a specific man
• um homem = a man → any man / an unspecified man

So:

• O homem ganhou o prémio = The man won the prize
• Um homem ganhou o prémio = A man won the prize

That small change affects how specific the sentence feels.

Yes. This is the most normal and neutral word order:

• Subject + Verb + Object
• O homem
  • ganhou
    • o prémio

That is very similar to English:

• The man
  • won
    • the prize

Portuguese can change word order in special cases for emphasis or style, but for a basic statement, this order is the most natural.

Either can work, depending on context.

• prize is often used for something won in a competition
• award is often used for recognition or an honour

Portuguese prémio can cover both ideas. In this sentence, if there is no extra context, prize is a simple and natural translation, but award may also be correct in the right situation.