Basic statement word order

In brief

In everyday Brazilian Portuguese statements, the usual order is subject + verb + the rest of the sentence. This is much like a basic English statement: say who does something, then what they do. The subject can be a name, a noun, or a pronoun such as eu or ela.

Form

Subject + verb + object or other information: Ela compra pão. (She buys bread.)

Usage

• Put the person or thing doing the action before the verb in a straightforward statement.
• If the verb has an object, place that object after the verb: Eu estudo português.
• Information such as where or when can come after the verb or object: Nós estudamos à noite.

Examples

• Eu trabalho em casa. — I work from home.
• Ela compra pão. — She buys bread.
• Nós estudamos português à noite. — We study Portuguese at night.

Common mistake

❌ Eu português estudo.

✅ Eu estudo português.

In a straightforward statement, the object normally follows the verb: estudo português.

Remember

For a simple statement, start with subject + verb. Put the object after the verb.