sou do Quênia
To say "I am from kenya" in Portuguese, you use sou do Quênia.
This phrase is used to state that your country of origin is Kenya.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of sou (I am), do (from the) and Quênia (Kenya).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, the preferred term for Kenya is Quênia, whereas in Portugal, the term Quénia is commonly used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word do is a contraction of the preposition de (from) and the masculine article o (the). This contraction is required because Quênia is a masculine noun.
Did you know?
- Even though you are saying 'I am from Kenya', the Portuguese word sou is a form of the verb 'to be' that is used for permanent states, unlike the verb estou which is used for temporary conditions.
- In Portuguese, nationality is often expressed as an adjective rather than a phrase of origin, so a speaker might say sou queniano to mean 'I am Kenyan'.
- The word sou shares a common Latin root with the French word suis and the Italian word sono.
Examples in context
- Eu sou do Quênia.I am from Kenya.
- Eu sou do Quênia, mas moro aqui.I am from Kenya, but I live here.
- Muito prazer, eu sou do Quênia.Nice to meet you, I am from Kenya.
Example conversation
Beatriz and Lucas are meeting at an international student conference.
- BeatrizOlá, meu nome é Beatriz. De onde você é?Hello, my name is Beatriz. Where are you from?
- LucasPrazer, Beatriz. Eu sou do Quênia.Nice to meet you, Beatriz. I am from Kenya.
- BeatrizQue legal! Eu nunca visitei o seu país.How cool! I have never visited your country.
- LucasVocê deveria ir, é um lugar lindo.You should go, it is a beautiful place.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries do, sou, CC BY-SA 4.0.
