Breakdown of Minha orelha arde quando eu fico muito tempo na água da piscina.
eu
I
a água
the water
na
in
minha
my
Questions & Answers about Minha orelha arde quando eu fico muito tempo na água da piscina.
Why does the sentence use orelha? Isn’t ouvido also ear?
Yes, both can relate to ear, but they are not always the same.
- orelha = the outer ear, the visible ear on the side of the head
- ouvido = the hearing organ / inner ear / sense of hearing
In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, people do sometimes use them loosely, but the distinction still matters. In this sentence, orelha arde suggests a physical burning or stinging sensation in the ear area. Depending on the exact situation, a Brazilian speaker might also say meu ouvido arde if the discomfort feels more internal.
Why is it minha orelha and not a minha orelha?
Both are possible.
- minha orelha
- a minha orelha
In Brazilian Portuguese, possessives can appear with or without the definite article. The version without the article is completely natural here. The version with the article may sound a little more explicit or slightly more formal in some contexts, but both are correct.
What does arde mean here? Is it literally burns?