Questions & Answers about A honra é importante.
Why is there A before honra?
A is the feminine singular definite article, meaning the.
In Portuguese, abstract nouns often use the definite article more naturally than in English. So A honra é importante is literally Honour is important / The honour is important, but in normal English the best translation is usually just Honour is important.
Because honra is a feminine noun, it takes a, not o.
Why is honra feminine?
In Portuguese, every noun has grammatical gender, usually masculine or feminine. Honra is simply a feminine noun, so it goes with feminine words like:
- a honra
- uma honra
- a honra importante (if the adjective comes after and agrees when needed)
This gender is grammatical, not biological. Since honra is feminine singular, the article is a.
Is the h in honra pronounced?