Breakdown of O meu peixe morreu ontem.
o peixe
the fish
meu
my (m/f/pl: meu, minha, meus, minhas)
ontem
yesterday
morrer
to die
Questions & Answers about O meu peixe morreu ontem.
Why do we need the word O before meu?
In European Portuguese, you almost always use a definite article (o, a, os, or as) before a possessive word. Because peixe is a masculine singular noun, you say O meu peixe (literally, the my fish) rather than just meu peixe.
How is the verb morreu formed?
It is the simple past tense (Pretérito Perfeito) of the regular verb morrer (to die). To match the third-person singular subject (O meu peixe), you take the infinitive, drop the -er ending, and add -eu, making morreu.
Why is ontem placed at the end of the sentence?
Just like in English, adverbs of time like ontem (yesterday) usually go at the very end of a sentence. You could also put it at the beginning for emphasis (Ontem o meu peixe morreu), but placing it at the end is the most natural word order.
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