Question 1

Can I say vivo instead of moro here?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can! Both viver and morar mean "to live." However, morar specifically means "to reside" in a physical building or address. Viver is a bit broader and can also mean "to be alive," but Portuguese speakers use them almost interchangeably when talking about their homes.

Question 2

Why does the sentence use no for "on the"?

Accepted Answer

The word no is a contraction of the preposition em (in/on/at) and the masculine "the" (o). In English, we say we live "on" a floor, but Portuguese uses em for physical locations regardless of whether it translates to "in" or "on." Since rés-do-chão is a masculine noun, em + o becomes no.

Question 3

What do the individual parts of rés-do-chão literally mean?

Accepted Answer

It literally translates to "level with the ground." The word rés means "flush" or "even with," do means "of the" (a contraction of de + o), and chão means "ground" or "floor".

Question 4

If I go up one set of stairs from the rés-do-chão, what floor am I on?

Accepted Answer

You would be on the primeiro andar (first floor). Like most of Europe, Portugal calls the street level the ground floor (rés-do-chão or floor 0), so the very first floor you walk up to is considered floor 1.

Moro no rés-do-chão.

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