Esta terra é nossa.

to be

Breakdown of Esta terra é nossa.

• esta: this
• o nosso: ours
• a terra: land; ground

Questions & Answers about Esta terra é nossa.

Why is it esta and not esse or este?

Because terra is a feminine singular noun.

In Portuguese, words that go with a noun usually have to match its gender and number:

• este = masculine singular
• esta = feminine singular
• estes = masculine plural
• estas = feminine plural

Since terra is feminine singular, the correct form is esta.

So:

• esta terra = correct
• este terra = incorrect

Why is it nossa and not nosso?

For the same reason: nossa has to agree with terra, which is feminine singular.

Compare:

• nosso carro = our car
• nossa casa = our house
• nossa terra = our land

In this sentence, nossa means ours and still agrees with terra.

What exactly does terra mean here?

Terra can mean a few things in Portuguese, depending on context:

• land
• earth / soil
• the Earth (the planet), often written Terra

In Esta terra é nossa, the most natural meaning is land or this land.

So the sentence is not usually understood as This planet is ours unless the context clearly points that way.