Word
O cochilo da tarde ajuda o bebê a ficar menos nervoso.
Meaning
The afternoon nap helps the baby be less fussy.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Lesson
Breakdown of O cochilo da tarde ajuda o bebê a ficar menos nervoso.
a tarde
the afternoon
ajudar
to help
da
of the
ficar
to become
Questions & Answers about O cochilo da tarde ajuda o bebê a ficar menos nervoso.
What does cochilo mean exactly? Is it the same as nap?
Yes. Cochilo means nap or short sleep, especially during the day.
In this sentence, o cochilo da tarde means the afternoon nap.
A few related words:
- cochilo = nap
- soneca = nap, also very common and a bit cute/casual
- sono = sleep / sleepiness, not specifically a nap
So:
- O bebê tirou um cochilo. = The baby took a nap.
- Estou com sono. = I’m sleepy.
Why is it o cochilo and not just cochilo?
Portuguese uses definite articles much more often than English.
So where English might say:
- Afternoon naps help babies...
Portuguese often prefers:
- O cochilo da tarde ajuda o bebê...
Here, o means the, and it makes the phrase sound natural and complete in Portuguese.
You will notice this a lot in Portuguese:
- O café faz bem. = Coffee is good for you.
- A música ajuda a relaxar. = Music helps you relax.
Even when English would sound more general, Portuguese often still uses o/a/os/as.
What does da tarde mean, and why is it not de a tarde?