Breakdown of O relógio está na gaveta.
estar
to be (temporary / location)
na
in the / on the / at the (f.sg)
a gaveta
the drawer
o relógio
the clock / the watch
Questions & Answers about O relógio está na gaveta.
Why do we use está instead of é for "is" in this sentence?
Where is the word for "in" here? I only see na.
The word na is a contraction. It combines the preposition em (meaning in, on, or at) with the feminine word for "the", which is a. Because gaveta (drawer) is a feminine noun, em and a merge together into na.
Can relógio also mean "watch"?
Yes! In Portuguese, the word relógio is used for a clock on the wall, an alarm clock, and a wristwatch. You use the exact same word for almost any kind of timepiece.
Why do relógio and está have accent marks?
The accent marks tell you exactly which syllable to stress when speaking. For example, the accent on está shows that the stress is on the final syllable. Without it, the word would be esta, which means "this" and is stressed on the first syllable.
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