Questions & Answers about Esta coisa é boa.
What does Esta coisa é boa mean in English?
It means "This thing is good." In this sentence, esta is the demonstrative adjective meaning "this" (used with feminine nouns), coisa means "thing," é is the third person singular of the verb ser (meaning "is"), and boa is the feminine form of "good."
Why does the adjective boa end with an a instead of an o?
In Portuguese, adjectives must agree in gender (and number) with the noun they describe. Since coisa is a feminine noun, the adjective is in its feminine form boa. If the noun were masculine, you would use bom (for example, "este livro é bom" means "this book is good").
What is the difference between esta and está?
Esta (without an accent) is a demonstrative adjective meaning "this" and is used with feminine nouns, while está (with an accent) is the third person singular of the verb estar (meaning "is" in temporary contexts). In the sentence, esta functions as a determiner modifying coisa.
Why is the verb é used instead of a form of estar in this sentence?
The verb é comes from ser, which is employed to describe inherent or permanent characteristics. Saying "Esta coisa é boa" indicates that being good is an essential quality of the thing. In contrast, estar is used for temporary states or conditions, so it wouldn’t be appropriate in this context.
How is the sentence Esta coisa é boa structured grammatically?
The sentence follows a subject-linking verb-predicate adjective pattern:
• Subject: Esta coisa (this thing)
• Linking Verb: é (is)
• Predicate Adjective: boa (good)
This structure is similar to how we say "This thing is good" in English.
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