"Eles dormem em um hotel."

Translation: They sleep in a hotel.

[Joannasuk]

Could use 'num' instead of 'em um'?

[diegopmelo]

Yes, you can, but "num" is more informal..... gramaticaly is incorrect...so, when you talk "num" is ok......but ever you write....

[Paulenrique]

Actually, "num" is not grammatically incorrect.

[saniac]

I said "they sleep at a hotel". Was marked wrong, with the warning "do not confuse in and at". "At" is one of the meanings given for "em". I'm not clear why my answer was wrong.

[ZuMako8_Momo]

«em» means "in" for the most part. Maybe it can be translated as «at» in a very specific context, but I cannot think of one right off the bat; that's how rare it is.

[ThanKwee]

How about "He's at home" = "Ele está em casa". "He's at the office" = "Ele está no escritório"

"I work at the bank" = "Eu trabalho no banco".

And someone suggested the following, but I'm not certain if it is correct:

Question: Why not "I am at the police department"?

Answer: I think that would be 'no departamento de policia', because it is the marker to express where you are

[ZuMako8_Momo]

Ah, those are some very good examples, you are right. I would also agree with the police department one.

[ZuMako8_Momo]

I suppose you could say, "They sleep at a hotel," but it is much more common to say "...in a hotel," since people sleep inside the building.

[Michael599194]

It should be acceptable to say an hotel

[Marius2406]

"DormEM EM UM" how you manage to pronounce this?how you say it în real life?

[ZuMako8_Momo]

Lol, I actually just say «dormem num hotel» normally

[Marius2406]

Thanks .i will say "num" it is easier.:)

[ZuMako8_Momo]

De nada :)

[tatarushka]

Duolingo used it as a response for one that I had wrong...

[deactivated user]

Isn't this "They sleep in/at an hotel"? Maybe it's lazy speech, but I would say we're going to an 'otel.

[ZuMako8_Momo]

I never heard anyone not pronounce the "h" in "hotel." I always pronounce the "h," but, if you do not, then I suppose "an hotel," with a silent "h," is correct.

[deactivated user]

Hmmm, let's just say going to n'otel is how some people might say it in certain parts of the UK and in some demographics. Not exactly correct, very lazy, but often enough heard.