O cartório fica perto do posto de atendimento.
The registry office is near the public-service center.
Breakdown of O cartório fica perto do posto de atendimento.
perto de
near
ficar
to be located
o cartório
the registry or notary office
o posto de atendimento
the public-service center
Questions & Answers about O cartório fica perto do posto de atendimento.
What does cartório mean exactly?
Cartório is a very Brazilian term. It usually refers to an official registry or notary office where people handle legal and civil paperwork, such as:
- birth, marriage, and death records
- notarized signatures
- certified copies
- property records in some cases
There is no perfect one-word English equivalent, so learners often need to understand it as a specifically Brazilian institution.
Why does the sentence start with O cartório instead of just cartório?
Because cartório is a masculine singular noun, and Portuguese commonly uses the definite article o before nouns when talking about a specific place.
So:
- o cartório = the registry office / the notary office
In Portuguese, articles are often used more naturally and more frequently than in English.
Why is the verb fica used here?
In this sentence, fica means is located or is situated.
The verb ficar has several meanings in Portuguese, but one very common use is location:
- O banco fica na esquina. = The bank is on the corner.
- Minha casa fica longe. = My house is far away.
So O cartório fica perto... literally feels like The registry office is located near...
Could I use está instead of fica?