Question 1

Does cada change if the word after it is feminine instead of masculine?

Accepted Answer

No, cada is an invariable word, meaning it never changes form. It is always used with singular nouns, just like the word "each" in English. You use the exact same word for a masculine noun like cada livro (each book) and a feminine noun like cada estante (each bookcase).

Question 2

Could I use a form of todo here instead of cada?

Accepted Answer

You could, but the grammar and meaning shift slightly. Cada livro means "each book" individually. If you want to say "all the books" as a whole group, you must use the plural: todos os livros. Be careful not to say todo o livro, as that translates to "the entire book" rather than "every book".

Question 3

Why is it na estante for "on the bookcase"? Doesn't the preposition em usually mean "in"?

Accepted Answer

The Portuguese preposition em is very versatile and can mean "in", "on", or "at" depending on the context. Here, because books sit on shelves, it translates to "on". It combines with the feminine word for "the" (a) to create the contraction na.

Question 4

The word estante ends in an "e". How do I know its gender?

Accepted Answer

Nouns ending in "e" can be either masculine or feminine in Portuguese, so you usually just have to memorize them. However, this sentence gives you a huge hint: the contraction na tells you a feminine word is coming. If estante were masculine, the sentence would have to use the word no instead.

Eu leio cada livro na estante.

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