Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil): Esta flor amarela cresce quando o sol começa a brilhar. - This yellow flower grows when the sun starts to shine.

In Portuguese, demonstrative adjectives change based on proximity. esta refers to something close to the speaker (this), essa to something near the listener (that), and aquela to something farther away (that over there). Using esta indicates the flower is in the speaker’s domain.

Why is amarela placed after flor instead of before?

Portuguese normally places descriptive adjectives after the noun, so flor amarela follows the structure noun + adjective. Placing amarela before the noun (as in amarela flor) is possible but sounds literary or poetic and adds emphasis.

Why is there no article like a or uma before flor, but there is o before sol?

Here esta is a demonstrative that replaces the article, so you don’t add another article before flor. In contrast, sol always takes the definite article, so you say o sol. Unlike English, Portuguese often uses articles with natural elements such as sol, chuva and mar.

What form of the verb is cresce, and why is it used here instead of crescer?

Cresce is the third person singular of the simple present of crescer. It agrees with the subject esta flor amarela and expresses a general or habitual fact: this flower grows whenever the sun starts to shine.

Why do we say começa a brilhar and not just começa brilhar?

The verb começar requires the preposition a when followed by another verb in the infinitive: começar a + infinitive. So you always say começa a brilhar, not começa brilhar.

What’s the difference between quando o sol começa a brilhar and quando o sol brilha?

Quando o sol começa a brilhar means when the sun begins to shine, focusing on the moment the sun appears. Quando o sol brilha means when the sun shines in general, any time it shines. The first is more specific, the second is more general.

Can you swap the order and put the time clause first, and do you need a comma?

Yes. You can say Quando o sol começa a brilhar, esta flor amarela cresce. When a subordinate clause comes first, you typically add a comma. Reversing the order simply shifts the emphasis to the timing.

Why is quando used here, and not se?

Quando introduces a time clause meaning when. Se would introduce a condition meaning if. Using se would change the sentence to if the sun starts to shine, implying uncertainty. Here you want to state a time correlation, so you use quando.

Could we use floresce instead of cresce? What’s the difference?

Florescer means bloom or blossom, focusing on the flower opening its petals. Crescer means grow in size or development. The sentence describes growth, so cresce is correct. If you wanted to talk about flowering, you’d say floresce.

Why does começa have a ç under the c?

In Portuguese, the letter c before e or i is pronounced /s/, but before a, o or u it is /k/. The cedilla (ç) under a c forces the /s/ sound even before a, so começa is pronounced /koˈmesa/.