Breakdown of É sempre difícil escolher entre bolo e pão.
ser
to be
o pão
the bread
o bolo
the cake
e
and
sempre
always
difícil
difficult
escolher
to choose
entre
between
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Questions & Answers about É sempre difícil escolher entre bolo e pão.
What does É mean in this sentence, and why is there no explicit subject?
É is the third person singular of the verb ser, which means is or it is. Portuguese often uses impersonal constructions for general statements, so there isn’t a need for an explicit subject; the sentence simply states a general truth.
How does the adverb sempre function in this sentence?
Sempre means always. It modifies the entire statement, indicating that the difficulty in choosing is not just occasional but a constant or recurring situation.
Why is the infinitive escolher used after the adjective difícil, and what does it mean?
Escolher means to choose. In Portuguese, it is common to use an infinitive after an adjective like difícil (difficult) to describe an action. This construction is similar to saying, "It is difficult to choose..." in English, where the infinitive expresses a general idea rather than a specific, tense-bound action.
What is the role of the preposition entre, and how should we understand the phrase entre bolo e pão?
The preposition entre translates to between. In this sentence, it introduces the two alternatives—bolo (cake) and pão (bread)—between which one must choose, thereby emphasizing the notion of a difficult decision.
Is the sentence structure É + adverb + adjective + infinitive a typical pattern in Portuguese when discussing general truths or actions?
Yes, this structure is quite common in Portuguese. It is used to state a general condition or truth. The construction efficiently conveys that a particular action (expressed by the infinitive) is consistently characterized by the adjective that precedes it.
Why does pão have a tilde over the ã, and what effect does that have on pronunciation?
The tilde over ã in pão indicates nasalization. This diacritical mark tells the speaker to produce the vowel with a nasal sound, which is a key feature of Portuguese pronunciation for certain vowels.