Questions & Answers about Eu moro ao pé da escola.
Why does this sentence use the word for "foot" (pé)?
The phrase ao pé de literally translates to "at the foot of". However, in European Portuguese, it is a very common everyday expression that simply means "next to", "beside", or "near".
Where does the da come from if the expression is ao pé de?
The word da is a contraction (a blended word) of the preposition de (of/from) and the feminine word for "the", which is a. Because escola (school) is feminine, it uses a. When they meet in a sentence, de + a shrinks into da.
Could I use perto da escola instead?
Yes! The phrase perto de means "near" or "close to". While perto da escola just means the school is nearby, ao pé da escola often implies it is right next door or extremely close. Both are completely natural to use.
Do you only use ao pé de for places and buildings?
Not at all! You can use it for people and objects, too. For instance, you could tell someone to sit ao pé de mim (next to me) or say you left your keys ao pé da porta (next to the door).
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