Word
A senhora prefere este ou aquele?
Meaning
Do you prefer this one or that one, ma’am?
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Lesson
Breakdown of A senhora prefere este ou aquele?
ou
or
preferir
to prefer
a senhora
you (formal, feminine)
este
this one
Questions & Answers about A senhora prefere este ou aquele?
What does a senhora mean here?
A senhora is a formal and respectful way to say “you” when speaking to a woman in Brazilian Portuguese.
It is commonly used:
- with older women
- in polite customer-service situations
- when you want to sound respectful or distant
Grammatically, it literally means the lady, but in real usage it often functions like you.
Why is there an a before senhora?
The a is the feminine singular definite article, meaning the.
In Portuguese, titles and forms of address such as o senhor and a senhora often include the article. So a senhora is the normal full expression.
Compare:
- a senhora = formal you (to a woman)
- o senhor = formal you (to a man)
Why is the verb prefere and not something like preferes?