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O banco fica à esquerda do mercado.

O banco fica à esquerda do mercado.
The bank is to the left of the market.
FromLesson 11inHardcore Portuguese (Brazil)
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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.