Portuguese Phrase
Coloquei meu almoço na mochila.
Meaning
The speaker is saying that they placed their lunch inside their backpack. The verb is in the past tense, so the action is already completed.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to tell someone where you stored your lunch – for example, before heading to school, work, or a field trip, or when you’re explaining why you don’t have your lunch with you at the moment.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Coloqueimeualmoçonamochila
Coloquei (pretérito perfeito)
‘Coloquei’ is the first‑person singular of the verb ‘colocar’ in the simple past (pretérito perfeito), indicating a completed action.
meu (possessive adjective)
‘meu’ agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies; ‘almoço’ is masculine, so ‘meu’ is used.
almoço (masculine noun)
‘almoço’ means ‘lunch’ and is a masculine singular noun.
na = em + a
‘na’ is the contraction of the preposition ‘em’ (in/on) and the feminine definite article ‘a’, used before feminine nouns like ‘mochila’.
mochila (feminine noun)
‘mochila’ means ‘backpack’ and is feminine, so the article ‘a’ (contracted to ‘na’) is required.
🗨In Conversation
Você já guardou o almoço?
Did you already put the lunch away?
Coloquei meu almoço na mochila.
I put my lunch in the backpack.
✕Common Mistakes
Puse meu almoço na mochila.
‘Puse’ is the past of ‘pôr’, which is correct but less formal; learners often mix the two verbs. If you choose ‘puse’, keep the rest of the sentence unchanged.
Coloquei meu almoço no mochila.
‘Mochila’ is feminine, so the correct contraction is ‘na’, not ‘no’.
Coloquei minha almoço na mochila.
‘Almoço’ is masculine; the possessive must be ‘meu’, not ‘minha’.
↔Alternatives
Pus o almoço na mochila.
I put the lunch in the backpack.
Deixei meu almoço dentro da mochila.
I left my lunch inside the backpack.
Guardei meu almoço na mochila.
I stored my lunch in the backpack.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil it’s common to carry a packed lunch (‘lanche’) in a mochila or a small bag, especially for schoolchildren and workers who travel. ‘Colocar’ sounds a bit more formal; in everyday speech many Brazilians would simply say ‘pus’ (the past of ‘pôr’). Also, remember that ‘mochila’ is feminine, so the preposition‑article combo is ‘na mochila’, not ‘no mochila’.