Breakdown of Prefiro ler o livro em casa.
o livro
the book
a casa
the house
em
in / on / at
preferir
to prefer
ler
to read
Questions & Answers about Prefiro ler o livro em casa.
Why is there no word for "I" at the beginning of the sentence?
In Portuguese, you often drop subject pronouns like eu (I). The verb prefiro already tells us exactly who is doing the action because its ending is specifically for the "I" form of the verb.
Why is ler in its basic dictionary form here?
When you have two verbs working together to express one idea ("prefer to read"), only the first verb is changed to match the person doing the action (prefiro). The second verb stays in its basic dictionary form, called the infinitive (ler).
Why do we say em casa instead of na casa for "at home"?
The phrase em casa is a fixed expression meaning "at home" (referring to your own home). If you used na casa (which combines em with the feminine word for "the", a), it would mean "in the house" and sound like you are talking about a specific physical building rather than the concept of being at home.
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