Breakdown of O carro está na frente do prédio.
estar
to be
o carro
the car
o prédio
the building
na frente de
in front of
Questions & Answers about O carro está na frente do prédio.
Why is it está and not é in this sentence?
Portuguese has two main verbs for to be: ser and estar.
- ser is usually used for identity, permanent characteristics, origin, time, and similar ideas.
- estar is usually used for location, condition, and temporary states.
In O carro está na frente do prédio, the sentence is talking about the car’s location, so estar is the correct verb.
- O carro é na frente do prédio would be wrong here.
- Think: location of things and people is normally expressed with estar.
What does na frente de mean exactly?
Na frente de means in front of.
It is made up of:
- em = in / at / on
- a frente = the front
- de = of
So literally it is something like in the front of.
In this sentence:
- na frente do prédio = in front of the building
Be careful not to confuse it with:
- frente a = facing / opposite / in front of, in some contexts
- em frente a = in front of / across from
For many everyday situations in Brazil, na frente de is very common and natural.