Portuguese Phrase
Li um livro.
Meaning
The sentence means 'I read a book.' It uses the simple past to describe a completed reading activity, without specifying when it happened.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to tell someone about a reading activity you finished, such as in a conversation about hobbies, school assignments, or a recent leisure activity.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Liumlivro
Past Tense (Pretérito Perfeito)
Li is the first-person singular form of the verb ler (to read) in the pretérito perfeito, indicating a completed action in the past.
Indefinite Article (um)
Um is the masculine singular indefinite article, equivalent to 'a' or 'one' in English, used before a singular masculine noun.
Noun Gender (livro)
Livro is a masculine noun meaning 'book'; its article and any adjectives must agree in gender and number.
🗨In Conversation
O que você fez no fim de semana?
What did you do over the weekend?
Li um livro.
I read a book.
✕Common Mistakes
Le um livro.
Le is the third‑person singular form; for 'I' you need Li.
Li uma livro.
Livro is masculine, so the article must be um, not uma.
Li livro.
The indefinite article is required unless you are specifying a particular known book.
↔Alternatives
Eu li um livro.
I read a book.
Acabei de ler um livro.
I just finished reading a book.
Terminei de ler um livro.
I finished reading a book.
Cultural Tip
In Brazilian Portuguese, it's common to mention the title or author after this sentence for more detail, e.g., 'Li um livro, O Alquimista, de Paulo Coelho.' Also, note that the past tense Li is often used in informal speech; in formal writing you might see the past perfect 'tinha lido' for actions preceding another past event.