Breakdown of Nas montanhas, o tempo muda rápido e geralmente faz frio à noite.
e
and
mudar
to change
rápido
quickly
fazer frio
to be cold
Questions & Answers about Nas montanhas, o tempo muda rápido e geralmente faz frio à noite.
What does nas mean here, and why is it used instead of em as?
Nas is a contraction of em + as (in + the, feminine plural).
- em = in/on/at
- as = the (feminine plural)
- em + as → nas
You use nas because montanhas is feminine plural (a montanha / as montanhas).
So:
- em + as montanhas → nas montanhas = in the mountains
You normally don’t say em as montanhas; in speech and writing you must contract it to nas.
Why is it nas montanhas and not just em montanhas?
In Portuguese, places are usually mentioned with a definite article, especially when you mean a general “region” or “environment”:
- nas montanhas = in the mountains (as a type of place / environment)
Em montanhas without an article is grammatically possible but sounds odd and very unnatural here. It would sound like random mountains, almost like “in mountains” used as a bare, abstract category, which is not how people normally speak.
So you almost always say:
- nas montanhas (natural)
Not: - em montanhas (strange in this context)
Why is tempo used for “weather” when it usually means “time”?