Breakdown of Comprei um gramofone a manivela na feira da ladra.
um
a / an / some (all forms)
na
in the / on the / at the (f.sg)
comprar
to buy
a feira da ladra
the flea market (used goods)
Questions & Answers about Comprei um gramofone a manivela na feira da ladra.
Why do we use a in a manivela instead of com (with) to say it has a hand crank?
In Portuguese, the preposition a is used to describe the power source or operating mechanism of a machine. Using com would just mean the gramophone was sold accompanied by a crank, whereas a tells us how it is powered. This follows the same pattern as fogão a gás (gas stove) or barco a motor (motorboat).
Why isn't it à manivela with the crasis (a + a)?
When describing the type of mechanism or fuel, we don't use the definite article, so no contraction happens. It is simply the preposition a followed by the noun. Writing à manivela would imply you are talking about one specific, previously mentioned crank, rather than classifying the type of gramophone.
What does feira da ladra literally mean?
It literally translates to "market of the female thief." It is the traditional Portuguese idiom for a flea market, originating from Lisbon's famous outdoor market where people historically suspected stolen goods were fenced. Even when used as a generic term for any flea market, it remains in the singular (ladra).
Can I use manivela to talk about other types of handles?