Place & position
Estou em Lisboa.
O livro está na mesa.
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Grammar · Prepositions
Small words, big meaning.
Learn when Portuguese uses em, de, a, para, por, com and sem — and how they combine with articles.
Core meanings
Start with the job each word does.
Do not translate one English preposition mechanically. Learn the Portuguese relationship: place, origin, destination, purpose, route, company or absence.
Origin & belonging
Sou de Portugal.
O carro é do João.
Destination & time
Vou a Lisboa.
Chego às oito.
Direction & purpose
Vou para casa.
Estudo para aprender.
Route & reason
Passo pelo centro.
Obrigado pela ajuda.
Company & means
Vou com a Ana.
Escrevo com uma caneta.
Absence
Café sem açúcar.
Saiu sem casaco.
Contractions
These combinations are part of everyday Portuguese.
When several prepositions meet a definite article, they contract. Learn the pair as one natural form.
Plural works the same way: dos, das, nos, nas, aos, às, pelos, pelas.
Important contrast
Place, movement and destination are not the same.
em
Estou em Lisboa.
You are located there.
a
Vou a Lisboa amanhã.
A destination, especially with ir, chegar and similar movement.
para
Vou para Portugal em setembro.
Direction, destination or purpose, often with a stronger sense of heading towards / staying.
Practice path
Build the pattern in eight steps.
Your best score is saved. Improve a score to earn XP, just like the verb practice.
- 1
em
Location and position.
- 2
de
Origin and belonging.
- 3
a
Destination and clock time.
- 4
para & por
Purpose, direction, route and reason.
- 5
com & sem
Company, means and absence.
- 6
Contractions
do, na, ao, pela and plurals.
- 7
Time
às três, de manhã, em agosto...
- 8
Mixed challenge
Choose the right form from context.