Minha cunhada disse que o repolho desta semana está melhor do que o da semana passada.

My sister-in-law said that this week’s cabbage is better than last week’s.

Breakdown of Minha cunhada disse que o repolho desta semana está melhor do que o da semana passada.

• estar: to be
• minha: my
• melhor: better
• passado: past

Questions & Answers about Minha cunhada disse que o repolho desta semana está melhor do que o da semana passada.

Why does the sentence start with minha cunhada?

Minha means my, and cunhada means sister-in-law.

So minha cunhada = my sister-in-law.

The possessive minha agrees with the noun cunhada, which is feminine singular. If the noun were masculine, it would be meu instead:

• meu cunhado = my brother-in-law
• minha cunhada = my sister-in-law

What exactly does cunhada mean in Brazilian Portuguese?

Cunhada means sister-in-law. It can refer to:

• your spouse’s sister
• your sibling’s wife

Portuguese uses the same word for both relationships, just like English often does.

Why is it disse que?

Disse is the past tense of dizer = to say.

So:

• disse = said
• que = that

Together, disse que means said that.

This is very common in Portuguese:

• Ele disse que vem. = He said that he is coming.
• Ela disse que gostou. = She said that she liked it.

In this sentence, que introduces what the sister-in-law said.