Questions & Answers about Este carro é grande demais para o estacionamento.
Why does the sentence use este for this?
Este means this.
In traditional grammar:
- este = this, near the speaker
- esse = that, near the listener or already mentioned
- aquele = that over there, farther away
So Este carro is a very direct way to say this car.
A useful Brazil-specific note: in everyday Brazilian Portuguese, many people often use esse where older grammar rules would prefer este. So both Este carro... and Esse carro... may be heard, but este is still fully correct and often sounds a bit more careful or formal.
Why is it é and not está?
It uses é because the sentence describes a characteristic of the car: its size.
- ser → é is usually used for identity, essential characteristics, or more permanent descriptions
- estar → está is usually used for temporary states or conditions
So:
- Este carro é grande = This car is big
- A porta está aberta = The door is open
In this sentence, the idea is that the car itself is too large for that space, so é grande demais is the natural choice.
What does demais mean here?