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Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil): A comida é suficiente. - The food is enough.

Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil)
/Handling a car insurance claim
/A comida é suficiente.

A comida é suficiente.

A comida é suficiente.

The food is enough.

Breakdown of A comida é suficiente.

enough; adequate

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Questions & Answers about A comida é suficiente.

Why is there a before comida?

Because a is the feminine singular definite article, meaning the.

In Portuguese, it is very common to use a definite article where English might use no article at all. So a comida can mean:

the food
sometimes food in a general/contextual sense, depending on the situation

Here, a comida most naturally means the food.

Since comida is a feminine noun, the article is a, not o.

a comida = the food
o alimento = the food / the nourishment

Why is it é and not está?

É is from ser, and está is from estar.

In this sentence, é suficiente means is enough / is sufficient as a judgment or statement about the amount. Portuguese normally uses ser here.

A comida é suficiente. = The food is enough.

Using estar here would sound unusual in most normal contexts. Brazilian Portuguese generally prefers ser suficiente rather than estar suficiente.

A rough way to think about it:

ser = used for defining, classifying, or stating a quality
estar = used for states or conditions

Even though enough feels temporary in English, Portuguese still usually says é suficiente.

Why does é have an accent mark?

The accent is important.

é = is (3rd person singular of ser)
e = and

So:

A comida é suficiente. = The food is sufficient.
A comida e suficiente. = incorrect

The accent shows both the pronunciation and the meaning.

Why doesn’t suficiente change to a feminine form?

Because suficiente is an adjective that has the same form for masculine and feminine in the singular.

So you get:

o alimento é suficiente
a comida é suficiente

Both use suficiente.

Many Portuguese adjectives do change:

bonito / bonita
cansado / cansada

But some do not change for gender in the singular:

suficiente
interessante
grande
feliz

So suficiente works for both masculine and feminine singular nouns.

What happens in the plural?

In the plural, suficiente becomes suficientes.

Examples:

A comida é suficiente. = The food is enough.
As comidas são suficientes. = The foods / meals are sufficient.
Os recursos são suficientes. = The resources are sufficient.

So the adjective does not change for gender, but it does change for number:

singular: suficiente
plural: suficientes

Can I say comida suficiente instead?

Yes, but it means something slightly different in structure.

A comida é suficiente. = The food is enough.
comida suficiente = enough food / sufficient food

So:

Há comida suficiente. = There is enough food.
A comida é suficiente. = The food is enough.

In other words:

é suficiente = adjective after the verb, describing the subject
comida suficiente = adjective directly modifying the noun

Both are correct, but they are built differently.

Could I leave out the article and just say Comida é suficiente?

Usually, no—not in normal everyday Portuguese.

Comida é suficiente sounds incomplete or unnatural in most contexts. Portuguese generally prefers the article here:

A comida é suficiente.

Without the article, it might only sound acceptable in very special styles, like headlines, slogans, or very abstract statements. For ordinary speech, use a comida.

This is one of the places where Portuguese uses articles more often than English.

Is comida always food, or can it also mean meal?

It can mean both, depending on context.

Comida often means:

food in general
a meal
cooked food
what there is to eat

So A comida é suficiente could mean:

The food is enough
The meal is enough

The exact meaning depends on the situation.

For example:

At dinner, it may mean the meal is enough.
In a broader discussion, it may mean the food supply is enough.

How do you pronounce A comida é suficiente in Brazilian Portuguese?

A helpful approximate pronunciation is:

ah koh-MEE-dah eh soo-fee-SYEN-chee

A few notes:

A sounds like ah
comida = koh-MEE-dah
é = eh
suficiente in Brazil is roughly soo-fee-SYEN-chee

The final te in many Brazilian accents sounds like chee.

A more natural connected pronunciation may sound something like:

a comida é suficiente
→ ah koh-MEE-da eh soo-fee-SYEN-chee

Is this a natural sentence in Brazilian Portuguese?

Yes, it is grammatical and natural.

It sounds like a clear, neutral statement meaning that the food amount is enough.

Depending on context, native speakers might also say things like:

Tem comida suficiente. = There’s enough food.
A comida basta. = The food is enough.
Já é o suficiente. = It’s already enough.

But A comida é suficiente is perfectly correct and natural.

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