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Questions & Answers about O quarto está escuro.
What does the article O indicate in the sentence “O quarto está escuro”?
In Portuguese, O is the masculine singular definite article, equivalent to the in English. It signals that the speaker is referring to a specific room that both the speaker and the listener know about.
Why is the adjective escuro placed after the noun quarto rather than before it?
In Portuguese, the typical word order places descriptive adjectives after the noun they modify. Here, escuro comes after quarto to naturally describe the room’s condition. While there are cases where adjectives come before the noun for stylistic or emphatic reasons, the standard placement is after.
Why does this sentence use está (from estar) instead of é (from ser)?
The verb estar (conjugated as está in the third person singular) is used to express temporary states or conditions. In “O quarto está escuro,” está indicates that the room is currently dark—a condition that could change—while ser would be used for inherent or permanent characteristics.
How do I know that the adjective escuro correctly agrees with the noun quarto?
Portuguese adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify. Since quarto is a masculine noun, the adjective escuro is also in its masculine form. If quarto were feminine, the adjective would need to be adjusted (e.g., escura).
Would changing the position of the adjective escuro alter the meaning of the sentence?
Although it is sometimes grammatically acceptable to place adjectives before nouns for emphasis or stylistic reasons, the standard and most neutral structure in Portuguese places the adjective after the noun. Moving escuro before quarto might shift the emphasis slightly, but it generally wouldn’t change the overall meaning that the room is dark.