Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Eu compro um quilo de pão.

Eu compro um quilo de pão.

I buy a kilo of bread.

Breakdown of Eu compro um quilo de pão.

of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)

a / an / some (all forms)

comprar

to buy

Questions & Answers about Eu compro um quilo de pão.

Does um mean "a" or the number "one"?

It actually means both! In Portuguese, the word for the indefinite article "a" or "an" is the exact same word as the number "one". Depending on the context, um quilo translates perfectly well to either "a kilo" or "one kilo".

If I buy a kilo of something feminine, does um quilo change to uma quilo?

No, it stays um quilo. The word quilo itself is a masculine noun, so it always requires the masculine number um before it. You would still say um quilo de maçãs (one kilo of apples). You only use uma when counting feminine things directly, like uma maçã (one apple).

How do I know compro means "I buy"?

In Portuguese, the ending of the verb tells you who is doing the action. Compro comes from the regular verb comprar (to buy). For almost all verbs ending in "-ar", the "I" form always drops the "-ar" and adds "-o". Because the "-o" ending already means "I", the word eu (I) is completely optional here!

What is the squiggly line over the "a" in pão?

That mark is called a tilde, and it tells you to make a "nasal" sound, meaning you push air out through your nose as you speak. The word pão sounds a bit like the English word "pow", but with a nasal vibration at the end.