O banco fica à esquerda do mercado.

The bank is to the left of the market.

Breakdown of O banco fica à esquerda do mercado.

• o mercado: the market
• o banco: the bank
• ficar: to be located
• à esquerda de: to the left of

Questions & Answers about O banco fica à esquerda do mercado.

Why use "fica" here? Can I use "está" or "é" instead?

In Brazilian Portuguese, ficar often means “to be located,” especially for fixed places or when giving directions. So O banco fica... sounds very natural.

• You can also say O banco está à esquerda do mercado. It’s perfectly correct; estar is neutral for location.
• Avoid é for physical location of objects/buildings. Ser is used for events or inherent characteristics (e.g., A reunião é no clube).

What does the grave accent in à (in à esquerda) mean?

It marks the phenomenon called crase: the fusion of the preposition a (“to/at”) with the feminine article a (“the”): a + a = à. The expression à esquerda (de) is a fixed feminine adverbial/prepositional phrase, so crase is required. Plural would be às (e.g., às 3 horas).

Why is it à esquerda do mercado and not just à esquerda o mercado?

After à esquerda, you connect the reference point with de: à esquerda de + [thing]. Because mercado takes the masculine article o, de + o contracts to do: hence à esquerda do mercado.

Do I always need the “de” part after à esquerda?

Only if you name what it’s to the left of. Examples:

• With complement: O banco fica à esquerda do mercado.
• Without complement (context supplies the reference): O banco fica à esquerda.

How does the phrase change with feminine or plural nouns?

Match the article in the contraction:

• Feminine singular: à esquerda da farmácia (de + a = da)
• Masculine plural: à esquerda dos mercados (de + os = dos)
• Feminine plural: à esquerda das lojas (de + as = das)

Is O banco é à esquerda do mercado acceptable?

No. Use fica or está for location: O banco fica/está à esquerda do mercado. Use é (ser) for events or defining traits, not for the physical location of buildings.

What’s the difference between à esquerda and para a esquerda?

• à esquerda (de): position/location. Example: O banco fica à esquerda do mercado.
• para a esquerda: direction/movement toward the left. Example: Vá para a esquerda. Note: With verbs like virar, à esquerda is standard: Vire à esquerda.

Is na esquerda do mercado correct?

Not for this meaning. To express “to the left of,” use à esquerda de. na esquerda (“on the left”) can appear in other contexts (e.g., sports: Ele joga na esquerda), but not to relate one object’s position relative to another.

Can I change the word order to emphasize the location?

Yes. À esquerda do mercado fica o banco is correct and puts focus on the location first. The neutral order is O banco fica à esquerda do mercado.

Does banco mean “bank” or “bench”?

Both. banco can be a financial institution or a bench/seat. Context clarifies. If needed, specify:

• Bank branch: agência (bancária)
• Park bench: banco de praça

Why not just write a esquerda without the accent?

In standard writing, you must use à here because of crase (preposition a + article a). Many native speakers omit it informally, but it’s considered a mistake in formal contexts.

Is à pronounced differently from a?

No. The grave accent doesn’t change pronunciation; it only marks the contraction in writing. In à esquerda, pronounce à like a plain “ah.”

How do you pronounce the whole sentence?

Approximate Brazilian Portuguese:

• O: “oo” (short, like ‘u’ in “put” for many accents)
• banco: “BAHN-koo” (the “an” is nasal: like “bã”)
• fica: “FEE-kah”
• à: “ah”
• esquerda: “is-KEHR-dah” (initial “es-” sounds like “is-”; “qu” = “k”; tapped “r”)
• do: “doo” (close to “du”)
• mercado: “mehr-KAH-do” (tapped “r”) Syllable stress: ban-CO, FI-ca, es-QUER-da, mer-CA-do.

Could I use the indefinite article instead: Um banco fica à esquerda do mercado?

It’s possible but less natural if you mean a specific, known bank. To introduce the existence of some bank there, Brazilians often say: Tem um banco à esquerda do mercado or Há um banco à esquerda do mercado.

Are there synonymous ways to say “on the left of the market”?

Yes:

• O banco fica do lado esquerdo do mercado.
• More formal/physical: O banco fica na lateral esquerda do mercado. Note: ao lado do mercado means “next to the market,” not necessarily on its left.

Why is it ao lado do mercado but à esquerda do mercado?

Different contractions:

• a + o = ao (masculine), as in ao lado (“beside”).
• a + a = à (feminine, with crase), as in à esquerda (“to the left”). Here, lado is masculine; esquerda is feminine.