Breakdown of Usa sempre o cinto de segurança no carro.
o carro
the car
sempre
always
usar
to use / to wear
o cinto de segurança
the seat belt
Questions & Answers about Usa sempre o cinto de segurança no carro.
Why is it usa instead of use if this is a command?
Usa is the informal tu command (imperative) for the verb usar. To form the affirmative tu command, you take the present tense tu form (usas) and drop the final s. If you wanted to be formal (você), you would say use.
The English translation says 'your seat belt', but the Portuguese just says o cinto. Why isn't there a word for 'your'?
In Portuguese, when it is obvious who the owner is, you usually just use the definite article (o or a) instead of a possessive word like teu. This is especially common for body parts, clothing, and personal items like a seat belt.
Does the verb usar mean 'to use' or 'to wear'?
Why does sempre come after the verb? Could I say Sempre usa?
In Portuguese, adverbs of frequency like sempre normally come immediately after the verb in a main clause, whereas in English 'always' comes before the verb. You might sometimes hear it before the verb for strong emphasis, but Usa sempre is the standard and most natural word order here.
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