Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Comprei o presente ontem e guardei-o.

Comprei o presente ontem e guardei-o.

I bought the gift yesterday and kept it.

Breakdown of Comprei o presente ontem e guardei-o.

Questions & Answers about Comprei o presente ontem e guardei-o.

Why is it guardei-o with a hyphen instead of o guardei?

In European Portuguese, direct object pronouns like o (it) normally attach to the end of the verb with a hyphen. This is the default rule, unlike in Brazilian Portuguese where the pronoun often comes before the verb.

What exactly does the -o refer to in guardei-o?

The -o is a direct object pronoun meaning 'it'. It takes the masculine singular form o to match o presente (the gift), which is a masculine noun. If you were talking about a feminine noun, like a carta (the letter), you would say guardei-a.

Why is there no word for 'I' before comprei or guardei?

In Portuguese, the subject 'I' (eu) is usually left out because the verb endings already tell us who is doing the action. Both comprei and guardei end in -ei, which is the 'I' ending for regular -ar verbs in the past tense.

Does guardar always mean 'to keep'?

Guardar can mean 'to keep', 'to save', or 'to put away'. In this sentence, it means you kept or put the gift away for safe keeping.