Question 1

Why does the sentence use pelo instead of just por?

Accepted Answer

pelo is a mandatory contraction. When the preposition por (through, by, for) is followed by the masculine singular definite article o (the), they combine to form pelo. Since campo is a masculine noun and we want to say "through the", we must use pelo.

Question 2

I thought por meant "for" or "by". Why does it translate to "through" here?

Accepted Answer

The preposition por has a few different meanings depending on the context. When you are talking about physical movement or a route, por (and its contractions like pelo) translates to "through" or "along". So, vai pelo campo means it goes through the countryside.

Question 3

Usually we use a or para with the verb ir (to go). Why not in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

You use a or para when you are talking about a destination (going to a place). In this sentence, the countryside is not the final destination; it is the route the road takes. We use por (contracted to pelo) to show the road goes through that area.

Question 4

Does campo always mean "countryside"?

Accepted Answer

Not always! campo is a versatile word. Depending on the context, it can mean the "countryside" (as opposed to the city), an agricultural "field", or even a sports pitch, such as a campo de futebol (football pitch).

A estrada vai pelo campo.

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