O resto está na mesa.

the table

Breakdown of O resto está na mesa.

• estar: to be
• na: on the
• o resto: the remainder

Questions & Answers about O resto está na mesa.

What does o resto mean exactly in this sentence?

O resto usually means the rest, the remainder, or what’s left.

In O resto está na mesa, it refers to whatever remains of something already understood from context, such as:

• the rest of the food
• the remaining items
• what is left over

So resto is a noun here, not a verb.

Why is there an o before resto?

O is the masculine singular definite article, meaning the.

Portuguese normally uses articles more often than English does, so o resto is the natural way to say the rest.

Without o, the phrase would usually sound incomplete or unnatural in this context.

Why is it está and not é?

Portuguese has two main verbs for to be: ser and estar.

Here, está is used because the sentence gives a location:

• O resto está na mesa. = The rest is on the table.

In Portuguese, location is normally expressed with estar, not ser.

So:

• está na mesa = is on the table

What does na mean?