Question 1

I've seen como used to mean "how" or "like". Why does it mean "eat" here?

Accepted Answer

Como is a tricky word for beginners because it has multiple meanings! It often means "how" or "like", but it is also the "I" form of the regular verb comer (to eat). Because it comes right after the subject Eu (I), you can easily tell it is acting as a verb in this sentence.

Question 2

Is it mandatory to include the word Eu?

Accepted Answer

No, it is completely optional. In Portuguese, the verb itself usually tells you who is doing the action. Since como as a verb can only mean "I eat", native speakers will often drop the Eu and simply say Como devagar.

Question 3

Many words that translate to "-ly" in English end in -mente in Portuguese. Why doesn't devagar?

Accepted Answer

While it is very common to make adverbs by adding -mente to adjectives, and there is indeed a word lentamente which means "slowly", devagar is a special, stand-alone word. It is the most common and natural way to say "slowly" in everyday Portuguese, so you just have to memorize it as it is.

Question 4

How would I change this sentence to say "He eats slowly"?

Accepted Answer

To talk about someone else, you just need to change the verb ending. For regular verbs ending in "-er" like comer, the "he/she" form ends in "-e". So, you would change como to come and say Ele come devagar.

Eu como devagar.

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