Breakdown of Penteio-me ao espelho.
ao
to the / at the (m.sg; f.sg à, m.pl aos, f.pl às)
pentear-se
to comb one's hair
o espelho
the mirror
Questions & Answers about Penteio-me ao espelho.
Why does it say penteio-me instead of just penteio o meu cabelo?
In Portuguese, daily grooming actions like combing, washing, or getting dressed are usually reflexive. Instead of saying 'I comb my hair', you literally say 'I comb myself' (penteio-me).
Why is the -me attached to the end of the verb with a hyphen?
In European Portuguese, object pronouns like me normally attach to the end of the verb in simple, affirmative sentences. If you added a negative word, it would jump to the front, like in não me penteio.
The English translation says 'in the mirror', so why use ao instead of no?
English speakers look 'in' a mirror, but Portuguese speakers do things 'at' the mirror. Ao is the combination of the preposition a (to/at) and the masculine word for 'the' (o). Saying no espelho would sound like you are physically inside the glass!
Why does penteio have an 'i' in it? The verb is pentear.
It follows a special spelling pattern for verbs ending in -ear (like pentear or passear). You add an 'i' to the stem in the present tense forms where your voice stresses that part of the word. So 'I comb' is penteio, but 'we comb' goes back to normal as penteamos.
Learn Penteio-me ao espelho and more in Portuguese
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free