Breakdown of Eu compro um litro de leite.
eu
I
de
of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)
um
a / an / some (all forms)
comprar
to buy
o leite
the milk
o litro
the litre
Questions & Answers about Eu compro um litro de leite.
Why do we use um here instead of uma?
Um means "one" or "a/an", and it has to match the gender of the noun it counts. Since litro (litre) is a masculine word, we use the masculine um. As you learn larger numbers, this rule still applies to numbers ending in one: you would say trinta e um litros (thirty-one litres) but trinta e uma garrafas (thirty-one bottles).
Is the word de used exactly like "of" in English here?
Yes! When expressing quantities or measurements, Portuguese uses de to connect the measurement to the substance, just like in English. So, um litro de leite translates perfectly to "a litre of milk".
How does the verb comprar (to buy) change to compro?
Does the word um match with litro or leite?
Um matches with litro. In Portuguese, the number always agrees with the noun it is directly counting. Both litro and leite happen to be masculine words, but even if you were buying a litre of water (water, água, is feminine), it would still be um litro de água because litro is the thing you are counting.
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