O para-brisa e o limpador de para-brisa têm problemas.

Breakdown of O para-brisa e o limpador de para-brisa têm problemas.

ter
to have
e
and
problema
problem
o para-brisa
the windshield
o limpador de para-brisa
the windshield wiper

Questions & Answers about O para-brisa e o limpador de para-brisa têm problemas.

Why is there o before both para-brisa and limpador de para-brisa?

Because Portuguese often repeats the article when two specific nouns are joined by e.

So:

  • o para-brisa = the windshield
  • o limpador de para-brisa = the windshield wiper

Repeating o makes it clear that these are two separate items. In this sentence, that is the most natural choice.

What exactly is para-brisa, and why is it written with a hyphen?

Para-brisa means windshield in Brazilian Portuguese.

It is a compound word, historically built from the idea of something that stops/breaks the breeze/wind. Portuguese keeps a hyphen in this word.

A useful spelling note:

  • Modern spelling: para-brisa
  • Older spelling: pára-brisa

After the spelling reform, the accent in pára disappeared, but the hyphen stayed.

Why is it limpador de para-brisa and not limpador do para-brisa?

Because limpador de para-brisa is the normal fixed expression for windshield wiper.

Here, de works like for/of in a naming sense:

  • limpador de para-brisa = windshield wiper / wiper for the windshield

If you say limpador do para-brisa, it sounds more literal, like the cleaner/wiper of the windshield of a specific car. That can be grammatical, but it is less like a dictionary-style name for the object.

So in general:

  • limpador de para-brisa = standard name of the part
  • limpador do para-brisa = more situational, tied to a specific windshield
Why is the verb têm and not tem?

Because the subject is plural.

The subject is:

  • O para-brisa e o limpador de para-brisa
    = The windshield and the windshield wiper

Two things joined by e usually take a plural verb, so:

  • ele tem = he/it has
  • eles têm = they have

That is why the sentence uses têm.

Why does têm have a circumflex accent?

The accent helps distinguish the singular and plural forms of ter in writing:

  • ele/ela tem = he/she/it has
  • eles/elas têm = they have

So the circumflex in têm marks the third-person plural form.

A useful extra note: in many Brazilian accents, tem and têm can sound very similar in everyday speech, but the spelling difference is still required.

Why are para-brisa and limpador singular if the verb is plural?

Because each noun refers to one item, but together they form a plural subject.

So:

  • o para-brisa = one windshield
  • o limpador de para-brisa = one windshield wiper

When you combine them with e, the whole subject becomes plural:

  • the windshield and the wiper → have

So the nouns stay singular, but the verb becomes plural.

Why is it problemas? And why is problema masculine even though it ends in -a?

It is problemas because the sentence says they have problems in the plural.

Also, problema is one of the Portuguese nouns that ends in -a but is still masculine.

So:

  • o problema = the problem
  • os problemas = the problems

This happens with several words of Greek origin, such as:

  • o sistema
  • o tema
  • o problema

So the sentence correctly uses:

  • têm problemas
How do I make para-brisa and limpador de para-brisa plural?

The most useful forms are:

  • o para-brisa → os para-brisas
  • o limpador de para-brisa → os limpadores de para-brisa

Notice:

  1. para-brisa by itself commonly becomes para-brisas
  2. In limpador de para-brisa, the main noun is limpador, so that is the part that normally changes in the plural

So:

  • the windshields = os para-brisas
  • the windshield wipers = os limpadores de para-brisa
Does o limpador de para-brisa mean one wiper, even though many cars have two?

Yes. Grammatically, the singular form refers to one windshield wiper.

If you want to be clearly plural, you would say:

In real-life usage, context matters. Sometimes people speak loosely about the wiper system, but in straightforward grammar:

  • singular: o limpador de para-brisa
  • plural: os limpadores de para-brisa
Is têm problemas the most natural way to say this, or could Brazilians say it differently?

Têm problemas is natural and correct. It means have problems in a general sense.

Brazilian Portuguese also often uses estar com for this kind of idea:

  • O para-brisa e o limpador de para-brisa estão com problemas.
  • O para-brisa e o limpador de para-brisa estão com problema.

These are also very common in everyday speech, especially when talking about things that are malfunctioning.

So both patterns are useful:

  • ter problemas = more direct, very standard
  • estar com problema(s) = very common in conversation
How is this sentence pronounced in Brazilian Portuguese?

A rough pronunciation guide is:

oo pah-rah-BREE-zah ee oo leem-pah-DOR jee pah-rah-BREE-zah TENG pro-BLAY-mahs

A few helpful notes:

  • o often sounds like oo
  • brisa sounds like BREE-zah
  • limpador has stress on -dor
  • de may sound like jee in many Brazilian accents
  • têm is often pronounced very similarly to tem in Brazil, even though the spelling is different

This is only an approximation, but it is a useful starting point.

AI Language TutorTry it ↗
Your avatar
“What's the best way to learn Portuguese grammar?”
Portuguese grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Portuguese

Master Portuguese — from O para-brisa e o limpador de para-brisa têm problemas to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions