Breakdown of Li o manual e guardei na gaveta.
e
and
em
in / on / at
a gaveta
the drawer
ler
to read
guardar
to keep
o manual
the manual
Questions & Answers about Li o manual e guardei na gaveta.
Why isn't it guardei-o na gaveta? The English translation says "put it".
This sentence uses the inanimate null object. In European Portuguese, when a direct object refers to a lifeless thing like o manual and was just mentioned, you can completely drop the pronoun. While guardei-o is also correct, simply saying guardei is very natural and common in everyday Portuguese.
Can I use the verbs pôr or colocar instead of guardar here?
You could, but guardar carries a specific meaning of putting something away for storage or safekeeping. While pôr or colocar just mean to place an object somewhere, guardar na gaveta implies you are properly storing the manual in the drawer so it doesn't get lost.
Could I use the Imperfeito tense for these verbs if I was setting a scene?
Only if you wanted to express a repeated past habit, like saying you used to read the manual and put it in the drawer every day (lia o manual e guardava). Since this sentence describes a sequence of two completed, one-time actions in the past, the Pretérito Perfeito (li, guardei) is required.
Why isn't the subject eu used before either verb?
Since the verb endings for both li and guardei already tell us the subject is the first person singular, adding eu is unnecessary. While you might remember this from earlier levels, it is especially important in compound sentences like this not to repeat the pronoun, as Eu li o manual e eu guardei would sound unnatural.
Learn Li o manual e guardei na gaveta 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