Question 1

Why is É possível followed directly by an infinitive? How does the construction É possível + infinitive work?

Accepted Answer

The phrase É possível uses the verb ser in the third-person singular to express possibility or feasibility. In Portuguese, when you want to say “it’s possible to do something,” you use É possível + the infinitive form of the verb that names the action. The infinitive (aprender, in this case) stays un-conjugated because it describes the action in general, not tied to a specific person or tense.

Example:  
• É possível viajar sem sair de casa. (It’s possible to travel without leaving home.)

Question 2

Why is there no subject before É possível? Isn’t a subject required?

Accepted Answer

É possível is an impersonal expression. Like English “it’s possible,” Portuguese drops any explicit subject pronoun. There’s no hidden “ele” or “isso” here—you just start with É. Adding isso (“Isso é possível aprender…”) is grammatically possible but sounds redundant and less idiomatic.

Question 3

Why is aprender in the infinitive and not conjugated?

Accepted Answer

After modal/adjectival structures like É possível, the verb that follows remains in its infinitive form because you’re talking about the action abstractly. You’re not saying “I learn” or “you learn”; you’re saying “to learn.” Whenever you see constructions such as É fácil + infinitive, É melhor + infinitive, É importante + infinitive, the verb stays in the infinitive.

Question 4

Why is there no article before português? Could I say aprender o português?

Accepted Answer

When talking about learning or speaking a language in general, Portuguese often omits the definite article: aprender português. This is more natural than aprender o português. That said, aprender o português isn’t wrong—it just adds a slight emphasis, as if you’re referring to “the Portuguese language” as a distinct entity.

Question 5

Why is português written with a lowercase “p”? Shouldn’t language names be capitalized like in English?

Accepted Answer

In Portuguese (both European and Brazilian), names of languages and nationalities are not capitalized, except at the start of a sentence. So you write português, inglês, espanhol. In English, by contrast, you do capitalize Portuguese, English, etc.

Question 6

Why do we say em casa instead of na casa?

Accepted Answer

Em casa is an idiomatic expression meaning “at home.” When casa refers to “one’s home,” you drop the article. Using na casa would suggest “in/at the house” in a more literal or specific sense (e.g. “na casa de João”). For general “at home” you always say em casa.

Question 7

How do I pronounce possível and português? Where do the accents show the stress?

Accepted Answer

• possível: three syllables – po-sí-vel; the acute accent on í shows that the stress falls there.  
• português: por-tu-guês; the ês ending with the circumflex accent indicates the stress on the last syllable.

Question 8

Are there alternative ways to express the same idea as É possível aprender português em casa?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Two common alternatives are:  
• Pode-se aprender português em casa. (Using the impersonal se.)  
• Dá para aprender português em casa. (Literally “it gives to,” idiomatic “you can.”)  
All three convey “You can learn Portuguese at home,” but É possível sounds a bit more formal, while dá para is very colloquial.

É possível aprender português em casa.

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