Breakdown of Eu uso o amuleto porque me protege do azar.
eu
I
de
of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)
usar
to use / to wear
porque
because
me
me
proteger
to protect
o amuleto
the amulet
o azar
the bad luck
Questions & Answers about Eu uso o amuleto porque me protege do azar.
Why is the pronoun me before the verb in porque me protege instead of after it?
In European Portuguese, object pronouns normally attach to the end of the verb. However, the word porque (because) is a subordinating conjunction, which acts as a "magnet word". It pulls the pronoun me away from the end of the verb and places it right before it.
I thought the verb usar meant "to use". Why is it translated as "wear" here?
You are right that usar means "to use", but it is also the most common verb for "to wear" in Portuguese. You use it for clothing, makeup, jewelry, accessories, and in this case, amulets.
Why is it do azar (from the bad luck) instead of just de azar (from bad luck)?
The verb proteger takes the preposition de (to protect from). In Portuguese, abstract concepts and general nouns like azar (bad luck) usually require a definite article (o or a). So, the preposition de combines with the article o to make the contraction do.
Why isn't there a word for "it" before protege?
Portuguese often drops subject pronouns (like ele, meaning "he" or "it") when the context is clear. Since o amuleto was just mentioned in the first half of the sentence, it is obvious that the amulet is the thing doing the protecting, so "it" does not need to be explicitly stated again.
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