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Questions & Answers about Cada dia é bom.
What does cada mean in the sentence "Cada dia é bom"?
Cada is a determiner meaning "each" or "every." In this sentence, it tells us that every individual day is considered good.
Why is the noun dia in its singular form even though it refers to many days?
When cada is used in Portuguese, it always takes a singular noun—even if the idea covers many instances. So cada dia translates as "each day", which implies every day individually, rather than as a collective group.
Why is the adjective bom in the masculine form?
The adjective must agree in gender with the noun it describes. Since dia is a masculine noun in Portuguese, the adjective bom is used instead of the feminine boa.
Is the verb é correctly used with cada dia? How does subject-verb agreement work here?
Yes, é is correct. Despite the idea covering all days, cada dia is a singular unit because cada always pairs with a singular noun. Therefore, the third person singular form é (from the verb ser) is used.
How would the sentence change if you used todos os dias instead of cada dia?
Using todos os dias (meaning "all the days" or "every day") requires a plural construction. The sentence would become "Todos os dias são bons" where dias is plural, so the verb changes to são (plural) and the adjective to bons to keep the agreement consistent.