A esposa acendeu uma vela.

a

Breakdown of A esposa acendeu uma vela.

• o: the
• acender: to turn on
• a vela: a wax candle

Questions & Answers about A esposa acendeu uma vela.

Why is a used before esposa?

A is the feminine singular definite article, so here it means the.

• a esposa = the wife
• It is feminine singular because esposa is a feminine singular noun.

Also, Portuguese uses articles more often than English does, so a esposa sounds completely normal.

Does esposa mean wife or spouse?

In normal Portuguese, esposa usually means wife, not a gender-neutral spouse.

That can confuse English speakers because it looks similar to spouse. The pair is:

• esposa = wife
• esposo = husband

If you want a more neutral word like spouse, Portuguese usually uses something else, such as cônjuge in more formal language.

Is esposa a natural word in Portugal?