Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Perdi um brinco na festa.

Perdi um brinco na festa.

I lost an earring at the party.

Breakdown of Perdi um brinco na festa.

a / an / some (all forms)

in the / on the / at the (f.sg)

Questions & Answers about Perdi um brinco na festa.

Why is the word "I" missing before perdi?

In Portuguese, the verb ending usually tells you who is doing the action. Perdi is the "I" form of perder in the past tense, so adding eu (I) isn't necessary and dropping it sounds more natural.

How do we know perdi is in the past tense here?

For regular verbs ending in -er like perder (to lose), the simple past tense for "I" ends in -i. If it were in the present tense (I lose), it would end in -o, making it perdo.

Does the word brinco have anything to do with the verb brincar (to play)?

While they share a history, they mean different things in different contexts. Um brinco with the article um is the noun for "an earring". The word brinco can also mean "I play" or "I joke" from the verb brincar, but the context here makes it clear you didn't lose a "play" at the party!

Why do we use na for "at the" instead of translating them as separate words?