Portuguese #2: the return of the "crase" Hi, mates! I'm improving my English while I'm writing Portuguese rules. My first note was about "crase" (https://www.italki.com/notebook/3406197/entry/711695), but I need add more explications to increase your understanding. Let's go! - Before words which we use to nominate places, you need pay more attention, and maybe only the convivence will give you an exact use. Look: before "Bahia", we put the definite article "a"; however, we don't use any article before "São Paulo". Then, write "Eu fui à Bahia" (preposition "a" or "para" plus definite article "a") and "Eu fui a São Paulo" (only preposition; and you can change this "a" for "para"). A curiosity: people from Southeast use "o Pernambuco" to talk about my state; this way, they say "Eu vou ao Pernambuco" (preposition "a" with the masculine definite article "o"), but it's very uncommon, we say without "o". - "Crase" is also used before hours, if the number is more than 1. Examples: "Acordei às 7h", "Ele nasceu às 11h" e "Às 13h, estaremos disponíveis". "As aulas começam às 1h30" doesn't exist, but "a 1h30" yes (remember, it's a preposition). An tip: 0h [zero hora] is very ugly, isn't? Don't use it, hehe. Prefer "meia-noite" (midnight). - It will be used before days of the week if you'll write a parallel between them using "a" or "as" before the first one, or if you'll want to emphasize the day. Otherwise, no. Examples: "Eu vou ao trabalho das [de+as] segundas às sextas-feiras", "Às quintas, preciso ir à casa de minha mãe", "De [without article] quarta a sexta-feira, ela está comigo". Beware: "sábado" e "domingo" are masculine words, so, there's no "crase" for them. - "Crase" isn't put before demonstrative pronouns (este, isto, esses, essa, isso, aquela, aquilo, etc) or personal pronouns (eu, tu, conosco, nos, etc). - We use to omit some words, and this seems that we wrote "crase" before masculine words. When we say "Ela canta à Tom Jobim", it means "Ela canta à moda de Tom Jobim". - Write feminine possessive pronouns putting "à" or "às" before is an option: "Levei flores à minha mãe" or "a minha mãe". But, sometimes, it's necessary by the context: "Nós enviamos mensagens à nossa presidente" ('cause we have only one president). - If you use to say a proper name with definite article, put "crase" when you need a preposition. It's more common in Southeast, 'cause the people generally write like this: "A Maria vai", "Dê isto à Joana". Meanwhile, that's all, folks. =) Hug!