A1 Prepositions & Connectors 10 min read Easy

The Swiss Army Knife Preposition: EM (no/na)

Don't use em alone with nouns; fuse it with the article (em + o = no) to sound natural.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

The preposition 'em' is your go-to for location and time, combining with articles to form 'no' and 'na'.

  • Use 'em' for general location: 'Estou em casa' (I am at home).
  • Combine 'em' + 'o' = 'no' (in the/at the - masculine): 'No carro' (In the car).
  • Combine 'em' + 'a' = 'na' (in the/at the - feminine): 'Na mesa' (On the table).
Em + (o/a) = No/Na

Overview

The preposition em is a cornerstone of Portuguese grammar, functioning as a highly versatile connector of ideas. It corresponds to a range of English prepositions, most commonly "in," "on," and "at." Unlike English, which often uses distinct prepositions for subtle spatial or temporal nuances, Portuguese consolidates these functions under em.

A defining characteristic of em is its obligatory contraction with definite articles (o, a, os, as) and common contraction with indefinite articles (um, uma, uns, umas). These mergers create new forms such as no, na, nos, nas, num, and numa. This linguistic process ensures phonetic fluidity and is fundamental to natural Portuguese speech.

This preposition primarily indicates two core relationships: static location, denoting where something or someone is situated, and temporal placement, specifying when an event occurs. Mastery of em and its contractions is essential for constructing grammatically correct and idiomatic Portuguese sentences, even at the beginner A1 level.

How This Grammar Works

In Portuguese, em rarely stands alone when immediately followed by an article. Instead, it undergoes a mandatory phonological and morphological process known as contraction. This merger is not optional in standard Portuguese and is crucial for achieving natural pronunciation and grammatical accuracy.
When em precedes a definite article—o (the, masculine singular), a (the, feminine singular), os (the, masculine plural), or as (the, feminine plural)—it combines with it. The m sound of em coalesces with the vowel sound of the article, forming a single, distinct word. For example, you will not say em o livro but rather no livro.
This contraction prevents a series of separate sounds, creating a smoother flow in spoken Portuguese. The resulting contracted forms are: em + o = no; em + a = na; em + os = nos; em + as = nas. These forms maintain the original meaning of em while integrating the specific reference of the article.
Similarly, em frequently contracts with indefinite articles—um (a/an, masculine singular), uma (a/an, feminine singular), uns (some, masculine plural), and umas (some, feminine plural). While these indefinite contractions are not always as strictly obligatory as with definite articles, they are highly prevalent and characteristic of native speech. The forms are: em + um = num; em + uma = numa; em + uns = nuns; em + umas = numas.
Using these forms enhances your naturalness in Portuguese.

Formation Pattern

1
The formation of contractions involving em is systematic and depends entirely on the gender and number of the article that follows. This predictable pattern simplifies the learning process once the underlying principles of Portuguese articles and noun gender are understood. The process involves identifying the article that would normally precede the noun and then applying the specific contraction rule.
2
Here is the detailed pattern for contractions with definite articles, which are always required in standard Portuguese:
3
| Preposition | + Definite Article | = Contraction | English Equivalent | Example (Portuguese) | Example (English) |
4
|:------------|:-------------------|:--------------|:-------------------|:---------------------|:------------------|
5
| em | o (masc. sing.) | no | in/on/at the | O jornal está no carro. | The newspaper is in the car. |
6
| em | a (fem. sing.) | na | in/on/at the | A chave está na mesa. | The key is on the table. |
7
| em | os (masc. plural) | nos | in/on/at the | Eles moram nos Estados Unidos. | They live in the United States. |
8
| em | as (fem. plural) | nas | in/on/at the | Eu penso nas férias. | I think about the holidays. |
9
These contractions are a fundamental aspect of Portuguese syntax and phonology, ensuring efficient communication. You must use them in all contexts requiring em before a definite article.
10
The contractions with indefinite articles are equally common in spoken and written Portuguese, though em um or em uma might occasionally appear in very formal or emphatic contexts. For natural usage, prioritize the contracted forms:
11
| Preposition | + Indefinite Article | = Contraction | English Equivalent | Example (Portuguese) | Example (English) |
12
|:------------|:---------------------|:--------------|:-------------------|:---------------------|:------------------|
13
| em | um (masc. sing.) | num | in/on/at a | Estamos num café novo. | We are at a new café. |
14
| em | uma (fem. sing.) | numa | in/on/at a | Eu trabalho numa loja. | I work in a store. |
15
| em | uns (masc. plural) | nuns | in/on/at some | Ele encontrou erros nuns documentos. | He found errors in some documents. |
16
| em | umas (fem. plural) | numas | in/on/at some | Eu confio numas poucas pessoas. | I trust in a few people. |
17
To apply this pattern effectively:
18
Identify the Noun: Determine the noun that follows em and whether it requires an article. For example, o escritório (the office) or um carro (a car).
19
Determine Gender and Number: Establish if the noun is masculine or feminine, singular or plural. Escritório is masculine singular; carro is masculine singular.
20
Select the Correct Article: Choose the appropriate definite (o, a, os, as) or indefinite (um, uma, uns, umas) article. For escritório, it's o; for carro, it's um.
21
Perform the Contraction: Merge em with the chosen article. em + o = no; em + um = num.
22
Construct the Phrase: Estou no escritório. (I am in the office.) Ele está num carro. (He is in a car.)

When To Use It

The preposition em and its contractions are indispensable for expressing relationships of static location and temporal placement. Its comprehensive scope makes it a highly frequent and versatile element of Portuguese.
1. Indicating Static Location (Where something is)
Em primarily denotes that a person or object is at rest within, on, or at a specific place. This encompasses a broad range of spatial references that in English might use "in," "on," or "at." The choice of contracted form (no, na, nos, nas, etc.) depends on the gender and number of the noun defining the location.
  • Enclosed Spaces: For being inside a container, building, or delimited area.
  • Os livros estão na mochila. (The books are in the backpack.)
  • Ela trabalha no escritório. (She works in the office.)
  • Muitas pessoas moram em apartamentos. (Many people live in apartments.)
  • Surfaces: For objects resting upon a surface.
  • O gato está dormindo na cadeira. (The cat is sleeping on the chair.)
  • Ele deixou a caneta no balcão. (He left the pen on the counter.)
  • General Locations/Addresses: When referring to one's presence at a general venue or specific address.
  • Encontro-me com você na praça. (I will meet you at the square.)
  • A loja fica na Rua Augusta. (The store is on Augusta Street.)
  • Geographical Locations: The usage of em with geographical names exhibits specific patterns.
  • For cities and towns, em is typically used without an article. This is because city names generally do not take definite articles in Portuguese.
  • Eu moro em Lisboa. (I live in Lisbon.)
  • Ele nasceu em Paris. (He was born in Paris.)
  • For countries, states, and continents, em generally contracts with the definite article that corresponds to the region's gender.
  • Eles vivem no Brasil. (They live in Brazil.) (Brasil is masculine.)
  • Ela viaja sempre para a França, mas está na França agora. (She always travels to France, but she is in France now.) (França is feminine.)
  • Passamos o verão na Europa. (We spend the summer in Europe.)
  • A significant and common exception is Portugal. Unlike most country names, Portugal does not take a definite article when preceded by em.
  • Estamos em Portugal. (We are in Portugal.) This idiomatic usage is consistent.
  • The special case of casa: When casa means "home" or "one's own residence," it typically appears without an article. Hence, em remains uncon-tracted.
  • Estou em casa. (I am at home.)
  • However, if casa refers to a specific house (not necessarily the speaker's home), it requires an article and thus contracts:
  • Eles estão na casa da minha avó. (They are at my grandmother's house.)
2. Indicating Temporal Placement (When something occurs)
Em and its contractions also specify the time frame in which an event takes place, often translating to "in" or "on" in English.
  • Months: For referencing months of the year.
  • Meu aniversário é em junho. (My birthday is in June.)
  • As aulas começam em setembro. (Classes start in September.)
  • Years: For referring to specific years.
  • A cidade foi fundada em 1500. (The city was founded in 1500.)
  • Eu nasci em 1995. (I was born in 1995.)
  • Seasons: For indicating seasons.
  • Vamos viajar no inverno. (We will travel in the winter.) (Inverno is masculine.)
  • A colheita é feita na primavera. (The harvest is done in spring.) (Primavera is feminine.)
  • Days of the week (with articles): To specify events happening on particular days or on recurring days.
  • Encontro você na terça-feira. (I'll meet you on Tuesday.)
  • A loja está fechada aos domingos. (The store is closed on Sundays.) (Here, a + os = aos is used for habitual action).
  • Vou trabalhar no sábado. (I'm going to work on Saturday.)
  • Parts of the day for specific occurrences: When referring to a specific morning, afternoon, or evening, not a habitual one (which often uses de).
  • O incidente ocorreu na manhã de ontem. (The incident occurred yesterday morning.)
  • Vimos um filme interessante na noite passada. (We watched an interesting film last night.)
3. Indicating Means, Mediums, or Manner
Em can also describe the vehicle, communication channel, or the way in which an action is performed.
  • Digital Media/Communication: For where information is found or transmitted.
  • Li a notícia no jornal online. (I read the news in the online newspaper.)
  • A transmissão será ao vivo na televisão. (The broadcast will be live on television.)
  • Recebi um convite no meu email. (I received an invitation in my email.)
  • Language: To express something done or said "in a certain language."
  • Este livro está escrito em português. (This book is written in Portuguese.)
  • Ela prefere falar em inglês. (She prefers to speak in English.)
  • Manner or State: To describe how something is done or a state of being.
  • Ele sempre fala em voz alta. (He always speaks in a loud voice.)
  • O documento está em formato PDF. (The document is in PDF format.)

Common Mistakes

Beginners often struggle with em due to its versatile nature and the mandatory contractions. Awareness of these typical errors can significantly accelerate your mastery.
1. Failure to Contract em with Articles (e.g., em a instead of na)
This is the most common and grammatically incorrect error. Portuguese language structure demands these contractions for phonetic fluency and grammatical correctness.
  • Incorrect: Eu estou em a universidade.
  • Correct: Eu estou na universidade. (I am at the university.)
  • Reason: The direct juxtaposition of em and an article creates a harsh sound sequence that Portuguese naturally resolves through fusion. Always contract em with definite articles; it is not optional.
2. Confusing em (Static Location) with a (Movement Toward)
Portuguese clearly distinguishes between being in a location (em) and moving towards a location (a, ao, à, aos, às). This distinction is crucial in formal and European Portuguese.
  • Incorrect (for movement): Eu vou na padaria. (This implies

Contractions of 'Em'

Preposition Article Contraction Gender/Number
em
o
no
Masculine Singular
em
a
na
Feminine Singular
em
os
nos
Masculine Plural
em
as
nas
Feminine Plural
em
um
num
Masculine Indefinite
em
uma
numa
Feminine Indefinite

Common Contractions

Base Article Result
em
o
no
em
a
na

Meanings

A preposition used to indicate location in space, time, or state of being.

1

Location

Being inside or at a specific place.

“Estou no escritório.”

“Ela está na escola.”

2

Time

Indicating a specific period or month.

“Em maio.”

“No verão.”

3

Means of Transport

Being inside a vehicle.

“No ônibus.”

“No trem.”

Reference Table

Reference table for The Swiss Army Knife Preposition: EM (no/na)
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Subject + verb + em/no/na + noun
Estou no parque.
Negative
Subject + não + verb + em/no/na + noun
Não estou no parque.
Question
Verb + subject + em/no/na + noun?
Você está no parque?
Short Answer
Sim/Não + em/no/na + noun
Sim, no parque.
General
Em + proper noun
Moro em Paris.
Indefinite
Em + um/uma
Numa casa grande.

Formality Spectrum

Formal
Encontro-me na residência.

Encontro-me na residência. (Daily life)

Neutral
Estou na casa.

Estou na casa. (Daily life)

Informal
Tô em casa.

Tô em casa. (Daily life)

Slang
Tô em casa.

Tô em casa. (Daily life)

The Em Universe

EM

Location

  • no at the (m)
  • na at the (f)

Time

  • em maio in May
  • no verão in summer
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Examples by Level

1

Eu estou no hotel.

I am at the hotel.

2

O livro está na mesa.

The book is on the table.

3

Nós moramos em Roma.

We live in Rome.

4

Eles estão no carro.

They are in the car.

1

O show é na sexta-feira.

The concert is on Friday.

2

Eu trabalho no centro.

I work in the center.

3

Ela nasceu em maio.

She was born in May.

4

Estamos nos Estados Unidos.

We are in the United States.

1

Eu acredito em você.

I believe in you.

2

Ele mora num apartamento grande.

He lives in a big apartment.

3

O gato está nas caixas.

The cat is in the boxes.

4

Pensei muito em você hoje.

I thought a lot about you today.

1

O projeto está em fase de teste.

The project is in the testing phase.

2

Eles se conheceram na universidade.

They met at the university.

3

Estou em dúvida sobre isso.

I am in doubt about this.

4

O filme passa na televisão.

The movie is on TV.

1

A situação está em constante mudança.

The situation is in constant change.

2

Ele reside na capital há anos.

He has resided in the capital for years.

3

Estamos em sintonia com a equipe.

We are in tune with the team.

4

A decisão está nas mãos dele.

The decision is in his hands.

1

O autor mergulha em reflexões profundas.

The author dives into deep reflections.

2

A economia está em declínio acentuado.

The economy is in sharp decline.

3

Ele vive em um mundo de ilusões.

He lives in a world of illusions.

4

A solução reside na cooperação mútua.

The solution lies in mutual cooperation.

Easily Confused

The Swiss Army Knife Preposition: EM (no/na) vs Em vs A

Learners mix up static location (em) and movement (a).

The Swiss Army Knife Preposition: EM (no/na) vs Em vs Dentro de

Learners use 'dentro de' when 'em' is sufficient.

The Swiss Army Knife Preposition: EM (no/na) vs No vs Na

Gender mismatch.

Common Mistakes

✗

Eu estou em o carro.

✓

Eu estou no carro.

Must contract em + o.
✗

Ela está no mesa.

✓

Ela está na mesa.

Mesa is feminine.
✗

Eu moro em o Brasil.

✓

Eu moro no Brasil.

Countries with articles require contraction.
✗

Estou em casa.

✓

Estou em casa.

Correct, no article needed.
✗

Vou no cinema.

✓

Vou ao cinema.

Use 'a' for movement.
✗

Estou na segunda-feira.

✓

É na segunda-feira.

Time expressions need correct verbs.
✗

Ele mora em um apartamento.

✓

Ele mora num apartamento.

Contraction is preferred.
✗

Acredito em o que você diz.

✓

Acredito no que você diz.

Contraction required.
✗

Estou em dúvida.

✓

Estou em dúvida.

Correct, no article.
✗

Ele está em o trabalho.

✓

Ele está no trabalho.

Contraction required.
✗

A solução reside em a cooperação.

✓

A solução reside na cooperação.

Contraction required.
✗

Ele está em o declínio.

✓

Ele está no declínio.

Contraction required.
✗

Estamos em o processo.

✓

Estamos no processo.

Contraction required.

Sentence Patterns

Eu estou ___ ___.

O livro está ___ ___.

Eu moro ___ ___.

Nós nos conhecemos ___ ___.

Real World Usage

Texting constant

Tô no caminho.

Travel very common

O hotel fica no centro.

Ordering Food common

O que tem no prato?

Job Interview common

Trabalhei na empresa X.

Social Media very common

Foto na praia!

Public Transport common

Estou no ônibus.

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💡

Gender Check

Always identify the noun's gender before choosing 'no' or 'na'.
⚠️

Don't skip the contraction

Saying 'em o' sounds very unnatural to native speakers.
🎯

Cities vs Countries

Cities usually don't take articles, so use 'em'. Countries often do, so use 'no/na'.
💬

Regional Speech

In Brazil, 'em' is often dropped in very casual speech, but keep it in writing.

Smart Tips

Check if the noun has an article. If it does, contract!

Estou em o escritório. → Estou no escritório.

Cities almost never take articles, so keep 'em' separate.

Moro no Paris. → Moro em Paris.

If you are going somewhere, use 'a', not 'em'.

Vou no cinema. → Vou ao cinema.

Don't forget to pluralize the contraction (nos/nas).

Estou no parques. → Estou nos parques.

Pronunciation

/nu/ vs /na/

Contraction sound

The 'o' in 'no' is closed, the 'a' in 'na' is open.

Statement

Estou no carro. ↘

Falling intonation for facts.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Remember 'Em' is the 'M' in 'Master'. It masters all locations.

Visual Association

Imagine a tiny 'M' character jumping into a box (no) or a bag (na).

Rhyme

Em plus o is no, em plus a is na, use them both to get quite far!

Story

Maria is in the kitchen (na cozinha). She puts the cake in the oven (no forno). She is happy in the house (em casa).

Word Web

nonanosnasnumnumaem

Challenge

Label 5 items in your room using 'no' or 'na' on sticky notes.

Cultural Notes

Brazilians often drop the 'e' in 'em' in speech, saying 'tô no' instead of 'estou no'.

European Portuguese speakers are very precise with contractions.

Usage is similar to Brazil but with unique local vocabulary.

Derived from the Latin preposition 'in'.

Conversation Starters

“

Onde você está?

“

O que tem no seu café da manhã?

“

Em que mês você nasceu?

“

Onde você trabalha?

Journal Prompts

Describe your room.
Describe your typical day.
Where would you like to travel?
Discuss a project you are working on.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank.

Eu estou ___ casa.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: em
Casa does not take an article here.
Choose the correct form. Multiple Choice

O livro está ___ mesa.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: na
Mesa is feminine.
Correct the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Eu moro em o Brasil.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu moro no Brasil.
Brasil is masculine.
Reorder the words. Sentence Reorder

Arrange the words in the correct order:

All words placed

Click words above to build the sentence

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu estou no carro.
Standard SVO order.
Translate to Portuguese. Translation

I am at the hotel.

Answer starts with: Est...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Estou no hotel.
Hotel is masculine.
Select the correct contraction. Multiple Choice

Eles estão ___ Estados Unidos.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: nos
Estados Unidos is plural masculine.
Fill in the blank.

Nós moramos ___ Lisboa.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: em
Cities don't take articles.
Correct the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Ela está no cozinha.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ela está na cozinha.
Cozinha is feminine.

Score: /8

Practice Exercises

8 exercises
Fill in the blank.

Eu estou ___ casa.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: em
Casa does not take an article here.
Choose the correct form. Multiple Choice

O livro está ___ mesa.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: na
Mesa is feminine.
Correct the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Eu moro em o Brasil.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu moro no Brasil.
Brasil is masculine.
Reorder the words. Sentence Reorder

carro / no / estou / eu

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu estou no carro.
Standard SVO order.
Translate to Portuguese. Translation

I am at the hotel.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Estou no hotel.
Hotel is masculine.
Select the correct contraction. Multiple Choice

Eles estão ___ Estados Unidos.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: nos
Estados Unidos is plural masculine.
Fill in the blank.

Nós moramos ___ Lisboa.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: em
Cities don't take articles.
Correct the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Ela está no cozinha.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ela está na cozinha.
Cozinha is feminine.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

12 exercises
Complete with the correct preposition. Fill in the Blank

Estou ___ (em + o) trabalho agora.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: no
Complete the sentence. Fill in the Blank

O almoço é ___ (em + a) mesa.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: na
Select the correct option for 'In Brazil'. Multiple Choice

Select the correct translation:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: No Brasil
Select the correct option for 'In Portugal'. Multiple Choice

Select the correct translation:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Em Portugal
Fix the error. Error Correction

As crianças estão em o parque.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: As crianças estão no parque.
Identify the correct preposition for a month. Error Correction

Meu aniversário é no janeiro.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Meu aniversário é em janeiro.
Arrange the words to form a correct sentence. Sentence Reorder

Brasil / moro / Eu / no

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu moro no Brasil
Match the phrase to its translation. Match Pairs

Match the location to the Portuguese phrase.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ["In the house : Na casa","In the car : No carro","In London : Em Londres","In the photos : Nas fotos"]
Fill in the blank. Fill in the Blank

Eles estão ___ (em + os) Estados Unidos.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: nos
Translate 'I am at the beach'. Translation

Translate: I am at the beach.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Estou na praia.
Which is correct for 'In a hotel'? Multiple Choice

Choose the indefinite form:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Num hotel
Fix the contraction error. Error Correction

O dinheiro está nos carteira.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: O dinheiro está na carteira.

Score: /12

FAQ (8)

Some common locations like 'casa' (home) do not take articles, while others like 'trabalho' (work) do.

No, it is grammatically incorrect. You must contract it to 'no'.

No, it is for feminine nouns, regardless of whether they are people or objects.

Most countries do, but some like 'Portugal' or 'Brasil' (often) follow specific rules. Check a dictionary.

Use 'nos' for masculine plural and 'nas' for feminine plural.

Yes, for months, seasons, and days of the week.

It is a feature of informal speech, similar to 'gonna' in English.

'Em' is for location, 'a' is for direction.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

Spanish high

en

Portuguese contracts (no/na), Spanish does not.

French moderate

dans/en

Portuguese uses 'em' for all these categories.

German partial

in

Portuguese uses gendered contractions instead of case systems.

Japanese low

ni/de

Portuguese uses one preposition 'em' for both.

Arabic moderate

fi

Portuguese contracts with articles; Arabic does not.

Chinese low

zài

Portuguese uses a preposition, Chinese uses a verb.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
The Magic Connector DE (do/da)
Next
Going Places: Preposition A (ao, à)

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