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Questions & Answers about O livro é pequeno.
What does each word in O livro é pequeno. mean?
O is the masculine singular definite article meaning "the." Livro translates to "book." É is the third-person singular form of the verb ser, which means "to be." Pequeno is an adjective meaning "small."
Why is the adjective pequeno placed after the noun livro instead of before it?
In Portuguese, adjectives that describe inherent or objective characteristics typically appear after the noun. In this sentence, placing pequeno after livro is the standard structure used to state a fact about the book's size.
What is the role of the verb é in this sentence, and why use it instead of está?
É comes from the verb ser, which is used to describe permanent, essential, or inherent qualities. Estar, with forms like está, is employed for temporary states or conditions. Since the sentence describes a permanent characteristic (the book's inherent small size), ser (and therefore é) is the correct choice.
Do adjectives in Portuguese need to agree with the noun in gender and number? How would that affect pequeno if the noun were different?
Yes, adjectives in Portuguese must agree with the noun they modify in both gender and number. In this sentence, livro is masculine and singular, so the adjective remains pequeno. If you were describing a feminine noun, the adjective would change to pequena. Similarly, for plural nouns, you would use pequenos (masculine) or pequenas (feminine).
How would you change the sentence if you wanted to express it in the plural form?
To form the plural, you need to adjust the article, noun, verb, and adjective. O livro é pequeno. becomes Os livros são pequenos. Here, O changes to Os, livro becomes livros, é changes to são, and pequeno becomes pequenos.