Este sofá é mais confortável do que a cadeira.

to be

Breakdown of Este sofá é mais confortável do que a cadeira.

• este: this
• do que: than
• a cadeira: the chair

Questions & Answers about Este sofá é mais confortável do que a cadeira.

What does Este mean here, and how is it different from Esse and Aquele?

Este means “this” (near the speaker).

Traditional rules (still taught in Brazil):

• este / esta / estes / estas – “this / these”, near the speaker
• esse / essa / esses / essas – “that / those”, near the listener or something just mentioned
• aquele / aquela / aqueles / aquelas – “that / those (over there)”, far from both speaker and listener

In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, people often use esse for many “this/that” situations, but using este for something you’re physically touching or very close to is always correct and sounds natural:

• Este sofá – this sofa (right here, next to me)
• Esse sofá – that sofa (often near you or already mentioned)
• Aquele sofá – that sofa over there (far from both of us)

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Why is it este sofá and not esta sofá? Isn’t the word ending in -a usually feminine?