Breakdown of Eles vão ao banco hoje.
eles
they (m)
hoje
today
ao
to the / at the (m.sg; f.sg à, m.pl aos, f.pl às)
ir
to go
o banco
the bank
Questions & Answers about Eles vão ao banco hoje.
Why does the verb vão look so different from the infinitive ir?
The verb ir (to go) is highly irregular. Vão is the form used for eles (they), elas, and vocês in the present tense.
The English translation says "are going", but isn't vão just the present tense?
Yes! In Portuguese, the simple present tense often translates to both the simple present (they go) and the present continuous (they are going) in English. You don't need an extra verb to show it is happening right now.
What exactly is ao and why do we need it here?
Ao is a contraction of the preposition a (to) and the masculine definite article o (the). The verb ir (to go) requires the preposition a for short trips, and since banco is masculine, a + o merges into ao.
Would the sentence change if "they" refers to a group of women?
Only the first word would change. You would use elas instead of eles. The rest of the sentence, including the verb vão, stays exactly the same, becoming Elas vão ao banco hoje.
Learn Eles vão ao banco hoje 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