Breakdown of No próximo verão, queremos viajar para uma praia sem muito trânsito.
querer
to want
uma
a
para
to
muito
much
próximo
next
viajar
to travel
sem
without
o verão
the summer
a praia
the beach
o trânsito
the traffic
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Questions & Answers about No próximo verão, queremos viajar para uma praia sem muito trânsito.
Why do we say no próximo verão instead of em próximo verão or no verão próximo?
In Portuguese you need a preposition + definite article: em o próximo verão, which contracts to no próximo verão. Although adjectives usually follow nouns, certain time words like próximo commonly come before. You could grammatically say no verão próximo, but it’s less idiomatic.
Why don’t we include nós before queremos?
Subject pronouns like nós (we) are optional in Portuguese. The verb ending -mos in queremos already tells you it’s first‐person plural (“we want”).
Why is queremos (present simple) used here instead of queríamos or gostaríamos?
Queremos is the simple present (“we want/intend”) and Brazilians often use it to talk about near‐future plans. Queríamos would be the imperfect or conditional (“we used to want” or “we would want”), and gostaríamos is conditional (“we would like”), which is more polite but less direct.
Why do we say viajar para uma praia? Can we use viajar a uma praia?
To express traveling toward a destination, Portuguese uses viajar para (to travel to). You can also say viajar até uma praia (travel until you reach a beach). Using viajar a is possible but rare/poetic. Saying viajar na praia would mean “travel on the beach.”
Why is it uma praia and not a praia?
Uma is the indefinite article, so it means “some beach” or “any beach.” If you said a praia, you’d be talking about a specific, known beach (“the beach”).
What does trânsito mean in this sentence? Beaches don’t usually have cars on them!
Here trânsito refers to traffic congestion, not just on the sand but on access roads, parking lots and surrounding streets. It can also metaphorically mean “crowds” or “busyness” around that beach area.
Why sem muito trânsito instead of sem muitos carros or com pouco trânsito?
Trânsito is uncountable, so you pair it with muito (not muitos). Sem muito trânsito (“without much traffic”) is more natural for describing the overall traffic level. You could say com pouco trânsito (“with little traffic”), but sem + noun is very common for expressing low quantity or absence.
How do you pronounce próximo and why is there an accent on the ó?
The accent mark on ó shows that the stress falls on that syllable: PRÓ-xi-mo ([PROH-see-moo]). Portuguese uses accent marks to indicate irregular stress or specific vowel quality.