Word
O arquivo já está no computador, mas o teclado e o mouse estão ao lado da impressora.
Meaning
The file is already on the computer, but the keyboard and the mouse are next to the printer.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Lesson
Breakdown of O arquivo já está no computador, mas o teclado e o mouse estão ao lado da impressora.
estar
to be
e
and
mas
but
o computador
the computer
Questions & Answers about O arquivo já está no computador, mas o teclado e o mouse estão ao lado da impressora.
Why does Portuguese use o/a so many times here: o arquivo, o computador, o teclado, o mouse, a impressora?
Portuguese uses definite articles much more often than English.
In this sentence, the speaker is referring to specific, identifiable things:
- o arquivo = the file
- o computador = the computer
- o teclado = the keyboard
- o mouse = the mouse
- a impressora = the printer
In English, you might sometimes drop articles in certain contexts, but in Portuguese they are very common with everyday nouns.
Also note the genders:
- o arquivo — masculine
- o computador — masculine
- o teclado — masculine
- o mouse — usually treated as masculine in Brazilian Portuguese
- a impressora — feminine
Why is it já está? What does já add?
Já usually means already.
So:
- O arquivo está no computador = The file is on the computer.
- O arquivo já está no computador = The file is already on the computer.
It adds the idea that this condition is already true now, often implying:
- it has been done
- it is no longer pending
- this part is settled
Very common in Brazilian Portuguese:
- Já chegou? = Has it already arrived?
- Já fiz isso. = I already did that.
Why is the verb used here instead of ?