Breakdown of Onde estão os porta-chaves e os guarda-joias?
e
and
estar
to be (temporary / location)
onde
where
o
him/it (m)
o porta-chaves
the keychain
o guarda-joias
the jewelry box
Questions & Answers about Onde estão os porta-chaves e os guarda-joias?
Why don't the words porta-chaves and guarda-joias change their spelling to show they are plural?
Both of these are compound nouns made by combining a verb (porta, guarda) with a noun that is already plural (chaves, joias). When a compound word is built this way (verb + plural noun), its spelling doesn't change in the plural. You only change the article from o to os to show there is more than one.
What do the verb parts (porta and guarda) literally mean in these words?
If the nouns don't change, how would I ask for just one keychain and one jewelry box?
You would change the verb and the articles to singular: Onde está o porta-chaves e o guarda-joias?. The compound nouns themselves look exactly the same whether you are talking about one item or a hundred of them.
Just as a refresher, why do we use estão here instead of são?
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