Breakdown of A caixa de transporte está pronta.
estar
to be
pronto
ready
a caixa de transporte
the pet carrier
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Questions & Answers about A caixa de transporte está pronta.
Why is it a caixa and not o caixa?
Because caixa meaning box / case / crate is a feminine noun in Portuguese, so it takes a in the singular: a caixa.
Be careful: caixa can also mean cashier / clerk in some contexts, and then you may hear o caixa or a caixa referring to a person. But in this sentence, it clearly means a box/carrier, so a caixa is correct.
What does caixa de transporte mean literally?
Literally, it is something like box of transport or transport box, but natural English usually says carrier, transport box, shipping crate, or pet carrier, depending on context.
Portuguese often uses the pattern noun + de + noun where English prefers a compound noun or an adjective. So:
- caixa de transporte = transport box / carrier
- garrafa de água = water bottle
- sapato de corrida = running shoe
Why is it de transporte and not do transporte?