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A rapariga está a desenhar com um lápis.

A rapariga está a desenhar com um lápis.
The girl is drawing with a pencil.
From Lesson 61:Present continuous (estar a)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about A rapariga está a desenhar com um lápis.

Why do we use "a desenhar" to say "drawing"?
In European Portuguese, to say that an action is happening right now, you use the verb estar (to be) followed by a and the infinitive of the action verb. So, está a desenhar literally translates to "is at to draw," which means "is drawing".
Is "rapariga" the standard word for "girl"?
Yes, in Portugal, rapariga is the everyday word for a girl or young woman. You might also learn the word menina, which is typically used for younger female children. (Note: In Brazilian Portuguese, rapariga can be an insult, but in Portugal, it is completely normal and polite!)
"lápis" ends in an 's'. Does that mean it is plural?
Not here! Lápis is a word that naturally ends in 's', even in the singular. We know it means "a pencil" (singular) in this sentence because it is paired with um (a). If we wanted to say "some pencils" (plural), the noun would stay exactly the same, but the article would change: uns lápis.
Do "com" and "um" combine into one word?
No. You might remember that some prepositions merge with um (for example, em + um becomes num). However, com (with) does not merge with um. They stay as two completely separate words: com um.

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