A aluna quer revisar a última lição antes da prova.

The student wants to review the last lesson before the test.

Breakdown of A aluna quer revisar a última lição antes da prova.

• querer: to want
• antes: before
• da: of the
• a lição: the lesson

Questions & Answers about A aluna quer revisar a última lição antes da prova.

Why are there two as in A aluna?

The first a is the definite article the. The second a is just the first letter of aluna.

So:

• a = the (feminine singular)
• aluna = female student

This is completely normal in Portuguese. It is not a typo, and there is no contraction here.

What does aluna mean exactly, and why not aluno?

Aluna means female student. Portuguese nouns often show gender:

• aluno = male student
• aluna = female student

If you want a more gender-neutral word, Portuguese also uses estudante, which can refer to either a man or a woman.

Why is there an article in A aluna? English often just says the student or sometimes simply students.

Portuguese uses articles very often, sometimes more often than English.

In A aluna, the article a makes the noun specific: the student.

In many contexts, Portuguese sounds more natural with the article, especially when talking about a known person or thing.