Learn Portuguese (Portugal): O meu pai ainda coleciona discos de vinil.

O meu pai ainda coleciona discos de vinil.

My father still collects vinyl records.

Breakdown of O meu pai ainda coleciona discos de vinil.

of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)

o pai

the father / the parents

meu

ainda

still / yet / even (with comparatives)

Questions & Answers about O meu pai ainda coleciona discos de vinil.

Where should I place ainda in the sentence?

In Portuguese, the adverb ainda usually comes immediately before the verb it modifies. So, it is placed right before coleciona. If the sentence were negative (like 'still does not collect'), it would go before the negative word: ainda não coleciona.

How do I change this to say 'My father no longer collects vinyl records'?

You would replace ainda with já não, which means 'no longer' or 'not anymore'. The sentence becomes: O meu pai já não coleciona discos de vinil. Just like ainda, the phrase já não sits right before the verb.

Why is there an O at the very beginning of the sentence?

In European Portuguese, you must almost always use a definite article (o, a, os, as) before a possessive word like meu. Literally, the sentence starts with 'The my father'. This is a common rule in Portugal that often trips up English speakers.

Why do we say discos de vinil instead of just discos vinil?

English often places one noun directly in front of another to act as a description (like 'vinyl' describing 'records'). In Portuguese, you usually have to connect the two nouns with the preposition de (of). Literally, you are saying 'records of vinyl'.