O carro antigo é lindo.

to be

Breakdown of O carro antigo é lindo.

• o carro: the car
• antigo: old
• lindo: beautiful

Questions & Answers about O carro antigo é lindo.

Why does the sentence use O instead of Um at the beginning?

In Portuguese, O (the) is a definite article, indicating a specific car that the speaker has in mind: “the old car.” If you said Um carro antigo, it would mean “an old car,” referring to any old car rather than a particular one.

What does antigo mean, and why is it placed after carro?

Antigo means “old” in the sense of “ancient,” “vintage,” or “classic.” Placing adjectives after the noun is very common in Portuguese, especially with describing words like antigo. So carro antigo is literally “car old,” with the adjective following the noun. Sometimes adjectives can come before the noun, but in this context, antigo typically appears after carro.

Why do we say é lindo instead of está lindo?

É comes from the verb ser, which is used for relatively permanent or inherent characteristics. We’re describing something that is fundamentally beautiful—“the old car is beautiful.” If you used está (from estar), it would imply a temporary condition, like noticing it looks especially great right now, but not necessarily always.

What’s the difference between antigo and velho in Portuguese?

Both can mean “old,” but antigo often suggests something with historical or sentimental value—like “classic” or “vintage.” Velho can have a slightly negative connotation or simply mean it’s old in age. Many people prefer antigo for positive or respectful reference to old objects.

Why is it lindo and not linda?

In Portuguese, adjectives agree with the gender of the noun they describe. Carro is a masculine noun, so we must use the masculine adjective form (lindo). If we were describing a feminine noun (like casa antiga), we would say linda if it were feminine.