Log inSign up

As chaves estão em cima da cadeira.

As chaves estão em cima da cadeira.
The keys are on top of the chair.
From Lesson 30:Prepositions of place (ao lado de, em frente de...)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about As chaves estão em cima da cadeira.

Why does this sentence use da instead of just de in em cima da?
The phrase for 'on top of' is em cima de. Because we are saying 'on top of the chair', we need the feminine word for 'the' (a cadeira). In Portuguese, the preposition de and the article a combine to form the contraction da.
Why do we use estão here for 'are' instead of são?
We use estão (from the verb estar) because we are talking about where the keys are located. In Portuguese, you almost always use estar to talk about the physical location of objects or people, while ser is used for permanent characteristics.
Could I just say na cadeira instead of em cima da cadeira?
Yes! na cadeira (a contraction of em + a) means 'on the chair' or 'in the chair' and is very common. However, em cima da cadeira is specifically used to emphasize that the keys are resting exactly on top of the surface.
What does the word cima mean on its own?
The noun cima means 'top' or 'upper part'. So the phrase em cima de literally translates to 'in top of'.

Learn As chaves estão em cima da cadeira 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
Start learning Portuguese →