Search from various English teachers...
United States flagShaunah
Question: Eu comi um bagel no café da manhã Hello, I wrote to someone "Eu comi um bagel para café da manhã" but I was corrected to use the word "no" instead of para. That's fine, but I'm trying to understand the translation because I am reading it like "I eat a bagel in the breakfast" and I guess I'm questioning how to use "no" in different situations. Thanks

Answers · 2

2
It's really a few confuse, because you are thinking in english and trying to understand in portuguese. I got an english teacher that told me once: "to speak english, think in english" and the same advice works for you "to speak portuguese, think in portuguese". For we in Brazil, to say "eat "something" FOR breakefast" sounds weird... hahaha... it's just a cultural thing, as well as "eat "something" IN THE breakfast" sounds weird for you. There are other uses for "NO and NA" as well as described on the first answer of your question but, only with time practicing you will get familiar to the use of "NO and NA" or other words and expressions in cases like this. Some times the translation will get sense but appear really a few weird as well for we brazilians in sometimes when translating from english to portuguese.
1
"no" or "na" is the contraction of "em + o" and "em + a".. it's the same that "in + the" or "at".. but in portuguese, "na" and "no" will depend of the gender of your speech.. "na" for female words, "no" for male words.. eu deixei meu celular no quarto/I left my cellphone in the room.. "quarto" is male word.. minha mãe está na cozinha/ my mom is in the kitchen.. "cozinha" is a female word..

Still haven’t found your answers?

Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn a language from the comfort of your own home. Browse our selection of experienced language tutors and enroll in your first lesson now!

Start Learning Today