Log inSign up

Prefiro o meu feijãozinho com um amendoinzinho.

Prefiro o meu feijãozinho com um amendoinzinho.
I prefer my little bean stew with a little peanut.
From Lesson 284:Diminutives (-zinho / -zinha)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about Prefiro o meu feijãozinho com um amendoinzinho.

Why does amendoim change to amendoinzinho with an 'n' instead of an 'm'?
This is a classic Portuguese spelling rule! The letter 'm' is only used at the very end of a word or before the letters 'p' and 'b'. Since adding the suffix -zinho puts the letter 'z' next to the nasal sound, the 'm' in amendoim must change to an 'n' (amendoinzinho).
Why do both feijão and amendoim take the -zinho suffix instead of the simpler -inho?
Words that end in nasal sounds (like the -ão in feijão or the -im in amendoim) almost always take the -zinho suffix. If you tried to add just -inho, the vowels would clash and be very awkward to pronounce. The z acts as a consonant bridge.
Does feijãozinho literally mean "a tiny bean" here?
It could, but Portuguese speakers often use diminutives to express affection, familiarity, or comfort rather than actual physical size. By saying feijãozinho, the speaker is showing that they really enjoy their portion of beans!
I remember the verb is preferir. Why is it spelled prefiro here?
Preferir (to prefer) has a slight irregularity in the present tense. For the "I" (eu) form, the second 'e' in the stem changes to an 'i', making it prefiro. Other forms keep the 'e', such as ele prefere (he prefers).

Learn Prefiro o meu feijãozinho com um amendoinzinho and more in Portuguese

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Portuguese →