A praça onde minha sobrinha brinca fica perto da ponte velha.

my

Breakdown of A praça onde minha sobrinha brinca fica perto da ponte velha.

• perto: near
• da: of the
• brincar: to play

Questions & Answers about A praça onde minha sobrinha brinca fica perto da ponte velha.

What does onde mean here, and why is it used?

Onde means where.

In this sentence, onde introduces a clause that describes a praça:

• A praça onde minha sobrinha brinca = The square/plaza where my niece plays

It is used because praça is a place, and onde is commonly used to refer back to places.

A more formal alternative would be na qual:

• A praça na qual minha sobrinha brinca...

But in everyday Brazilian Portuguese, onde is much more natural.

Why is it a praça and da ponte velha with articles?

Portuguese uses definite articles much more often than English.

So where English might say:

• The square
• the old bridge

Portuguese naturally says:

• a praça
• a ponte velha

In da ponte velha, the da includes the article:

• de + a = da

So:

• perto da ponte velha = near the old bridge

This is very normal in Portuguese.

What does fica mean here? Does it mean stays?