Passo as camisas a ferro ao domingo.

Questions & Answers about Passo as camisas a ferro ao domingo.

Why is as camisas placed between passo and a ferro?
The Portuguese term for 'to iron' is the fixed phrase passar a ferro (literally 'to pass by iron'). When you include the object you are ironing (as camisas), it naturally sits right after the verb and before the rest of the expression. So you are literally saying 'I pass the shirts by iron'.
Why is there no article before ferro?
In the fixed expression passar a ferro, the noun ferro (iron) doesn't need an article. The preposition a here indicates the method or tool used for the action, similar to how we say 'by hand' instead of 'by the hand' in English.
Why does the sentence use the singular domingo when the English translation says 'Sundays'?
In European Portuguese, you can express a habitual, recurring action on a day of the week by using the preposition a plus the definite article and the singular day. Therefore, ao domingo translates to 'on Sundays' or 'every Sunday'. You can also say aos domingos, but the singular form is very natural and common.
Why do we use ao domingo instead of no domingo here?
The preposition you choose changes the meaning! Using ao (which is a + o) shows that this is a regular habit. If you were talking about one specific occurrence, like 'I will iron the shirts this Sunday', you would use the preposition em and say no domingo instead.

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