Breakdown of O professor explica que falar um português correto não é tão difícil quanto parece.
ser
to be
não
not
falar
to speak
português
Portuguese
um
a
que
that
o professor
the teacher
difícil
difficult
explicar
to explain
correto
correct
tão
as
parecer
to seem
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Questions & Answers about O professor explica que falar um português correto não é tão difícil quanto parece.
Why is the indefinite article um used before português correto?
In Portuguese, using um here can emphasize the idea of "a correct way of speaking Portuguese," almost as if referring to a particular version of the language. It also sounds more natural in everyday Brazilian Portuguese to say falar um português correto rather than just falar português correto.
What does tão ... quanto mean and why is it used in não é tão difícil quanto parece?
The expression tão ... quanto is used for comparisons, similar to "as ... as" in English. So here, não é tão difícil quanto parece means "it is not as difficult as it seems."
Why does the sentence say falar um português correto instead of falar o português correto?
Using o would imply the one correct Portuguese, as if there's only a single correct form. Using um makes it more general, suggesting there are multiple appropriate ways but still aiming at correctness or standard usage.
Why is parece in the third person singular, and not something like parecem?
The verb parece relates to the general action or situation, treated as a singular concept ("it seems"). Even if multiple aspects might make Portuguese difficult, the sentence overall uses a singular idea of "it" that "seems" a certain way, so parece is singular.
Can I replace explica with diz?
Yes, you could say O professor diz que falar um português correto não é tão difícil quanto parece. However, explica highlights that the professor is providing clarification or reasoning, whereas diz simply states that he is saying it.