Can someone please explain this Portuguese?

Question

"Minha Vó disse que, eles moram aí porque não tem pra onde ir."

I know this is very simple, but I am struggling to understand the "pra" part.

The sentence means: "My grandmother said that they live there because they have nowhere to go."

Or is it wrong?

Can someone perhaps give me a direct translation and then the correct English translation for the above Portuguese sentence?

I know "pra" = "para" + "a"...

but why isn't it "...porque não tem para onde ir" or "...porque não tem a onde ir"?

I am confused because these two words "para" and "a" mean the same thing to me in this sentence (namely TO) and I don't know why both are used instead of just one of them!

Can someone perhaps explain to me the difference between these two words (in this particular sentence) and why both had to be used?

Can I say "...porque não tem para onde ir" / "...porque não tem a onde ir"? Will it make sense and mean the same as in the first sentence?

Thank you very much for helping!

Answer 1

i understand u...

first of all, sorry, but "pra" isnt "para a". "para" and "pra" have the same meaning and translation. "pra" comes from "para" as a contraction. i mean "pra" is a short way to say "para", but "pra" is used in informal language most of time!

it would be correct in portuguese with the same meaning if u said:
1.eles moram lá porque não têm pra onde ir.
2.eles moram lá porque não têm para onde ir.
3.eles moram lá porque não têm aonde ir.

p.s.:
1.this veb "ter"(to have) has to be in the 3th person of plural, thats why its "têm", and not "tem". "tem" is used just in the 3th person of sing. i know its a small difference... anyway the pronunciation is the same in the both!

2.the 3th sentence i used here is written with 'aonde" and not "onde"... why? cz the verb "ir"(to go) is a verb of moviment - who GOES, goes TO somewhere(quem VAI, vai A algum lugar). when u have a verb of moviment and u need to use "onde", u have to add "a". so, the result will be "AONDE". But, plz, dont use "a onde"!

anyway, dont worry about this doubt! its normal u r confused about those prepositions - a, para, pra...- its really hard to understand!
i hope i have help u. but if u have other questions u can send me an email...ok?!
see u

Answer 2

Man, you make me confused with your question! Let's see if I can help you, I'm Portuguese native speaker ...
1- You CAN'T say "porque não tem a onde ir", I agree with you that make sense but its not the correct way."Usual way, you know..
2- The meaning you got is correct and pra = para (not necessary para a, you can say pra voce = to you)
3- a , by itself has some others meanings, as an article for feminine nouns : a menina /o menino =the girl/ the boy
I hope its help you!

Answer 3

'Pra', in this case, means only a contraction of the word 'para'. The same thing as to say in english 'cause instead of because. The word 'vó' is contracted too, because the right spelling is 'avó'.

Answer 4

you haven't any longer specified it yet i think the incidents pertains to the disappearance from the employed mattress room of the daughter of the MacFanns it sluggish back.you have talked approximately her physique being thrown right into a like .I incredibly have not heard that the physique became recovered from a lake. i think that youhave talked approximately this possiility to describe her vanishing thinking that she may well be mendacity on the backside of a lake tied down with a stone. till thebody is recovered of has been recovered it incredibly is in basic terms a conjecture extra particular is the discover of her hair interior the employed automobile which carried the MacFinna bacck and this hair tallied together with her DNA. in spite of the incontrovertible fact that, the MacFanns look surprisingly reluctant to obey the summons of the Poutuguese police in this regard. on the different hand the relucance of the Police to settle for the professed help with the help of the British police additionally creates doubts.it incredibly is fairly possibly that as alleged the lady became heavily sedated so as that the MacFanns celebration an bypass on unhindered and located her ineffective on coming back(some say her bod became got here across on the staircase the place she looks to avee collasped. She ought to have a million/2 woken up on hearig some suspicious sound and tried to e esca;e for the duration of the staircase and yet ought to no longer make it via fact of heavy sedation) to dodge sc scandal the MacFanns have unfold this hearsay of her being snatched away.the only witness who reported e had seen somebody donning a physique lined with a white fabric has no longer be pursued further with the help of the Police for identity. the different lead of her having been seenor some likeness of her) has additionally no longer been pursued. the whole count stinks Your concept of her being snatched away with the help of somebody itself is in basic terms a conjecture and the making her disdappear with the help of dumping her right into a lake is in keeping with this presumtion.

Answer 5

Mi abuela dice que ellos viven ahi porque no tienen para donde ir