Breakdown of Eles lavam os copos e guardam-nos na gaveta.
e
and
eles
they (m)
em
in / on / at
a gaveta
the drawer
guardar
to keep
o copo
the glass
lavar
to wash
-nos
them (m, after nasal sound)
Questions & Answers about Eles lavam os copos e guardam-nos na gaveta.
Why is it guardam-nos instead of guardam-os?
The verb guardam ends in an "m", which makes a nasal sound. When attaching a direct object pronoun like os (them) to a verb that ends in a nasal sound, the pronoun changes to start with an "n" to make it easier to say. So, os becomes -nos.
Wait, doesn't nos mean "us"? How do I know it means "them" here?
Why use guardam for "put away"? Doesn't guardar mean "to keep" or "to save"?
Yes, guardar means to keep or save, but it is also the most common verb used for putting things away in their proper place, like putting dishes in a cupboard or clothes in a drawer.
Why is it na gaveta instead of em a gaveta?
In Portuguese, the preposition em (in or on) almost always shrinks and combines with the word that comes immediately after it. Here, it merges with the feminine word for "the" (a) to form na.
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