Breakdown of O pedido da senhora está pronto.
estar
to be
pronto
ready
o pedido
the order
da senhora
your (formal)
Questions & Answers about O pedido da senhora está pronto.
Why does the sentence start with O before pedido?
Portuguese often uses the definite article where English would not.
- o = the (masculine singular)
- pedido = order / request
So o pedido literally means the order or the request.
In everyday Portuguese, articles are very common before nouns, much more than in English.
What does pedido mean here?
Pedido can mean different things depending on context, especially:
- order (for example, in a restaurant or store)
- request
In O pedido da senhora está pronto, the most likely meaning is Your order is ready, ma’am, but it could also mean The lady’s request is ready/completed, depending on the situation.
Why is it da senhora and not just senhora?
Da is a contraction:
- de + a = da
Here it means of the.
So:
- o pedido da senhora = the order of the lady
- more naturally in English: the lady’s order or your order, ma’am
Portuguese often expresses possession with de instead of using an apostrophe like English does.
Does senhora mean , , or ?