Understanding “EM” and “DE” in Brazilian Portuguese
In Brazilian Portuguese, two important prepositions, EM and DE, help express location, possession, and origins, similar to English words like “in,” “at,” “on,” “of,” or “from.” Let’s break down how to use them, why they change form, and how they compare to English.
1. The Preposition EM
The preposition EM in Portuguese is often used to show where something is or to describe a specific place. In English, we express these ideas using “in,” “on,” or “at.”
Examples of EM
- Estou em casa – I am at home
- O livro está na mesa – The book is on the table
- Ela mora em São Paulo – She lives in São Paulo
Contraction with Articles
In Portuguese, EM combines with the definite articles (o, a, os, as) to make a contraction. For example:
- em + o becomes no (in the, on the, at the – masculine singular)
- Estou no escritório – “I am at the office”
- em + a becomes na (in the, on the, at the – feminine singular)
- Estou na escola – “I am at school”
- em + os becomes nos (in the, on the, at the – masculine plural)
- Estamos nos parques – “We are in the parks”
- em + as becomes nas (in the, on the, at the – feminine plural)
- Estamos nas lojas – “We are in the stores”
Other Contractions
When EM combines with other pronouns or demonstratives, like “esse” (that), it contracts to nesse:
- em + esse becomes nesse (in that, on that, at that – masculine singular)
- Estou nesse prédio – “I am in that building”
it will happen in: esse, essa, aquele, aquela, isso, aquilo.
2. The Preposition DE
The preposition DE in Portuguese is used to show origin, possession, or material, similar to “of” or “from” in English.
Examples of DE
- Ele é de São Paulo – “He is from São Paulo”
- A casa de Maria – “Maria’s house” (literally, “the house of Maria”)
Contraction with Articles
DE also changes form when combined with definite articles:
- de + o becomes do (of the, from the – masculine singular)
- O carro do João – “João’s car” or “the car of João”
- de + a becomes da (of the, from the – feminine singular)
- A amiga da Ana – “Ana’s friend” or “the friend of Ana”
- de + os becomes dos (of the, from the – masculine plural)
- Os livros dos meninos – “The boys’ books”
- de + as becomes das (of the, from the – feminine plural)
- As casas das amigas – “The friends’ houses”
Other Contractions
Similarly, DE combines with other pronouns or demonstratives, like “esse” (that), to become desse:
- de + esse becomes desse (of that, from that – masculine singular)
- O fim desse ano – “The end of that year”
Comparison with English
In English, we do not combine prepositions and articles, so “in the” or “of the” remain separate. However, Brazilian Portuguese contracts these words, creating shorter and more fluent forms.
- IN / AT / ON = often translated with EM in Portuguese:
- in the school = na escola
- on the table = na mesa
- at the beach = na praia
- OF / FROM = often translated with DE in Portuguese:
- the book of Ana = o livro da Ana
- from the city = da cidade
Practice Exercises
- Translate to Portuguese:
- “I am at the park” = Estou _____ parque. (Answer: no)
- “The friend of Ana” = A amiga _____ Ana. (Answer: da)
- “He is from that city” = Ele é _____ cidade. (Answer: dessa)
By understanding EM and DE, you can describe places, origins, and possessions clearly in Brazilian Portuguese.