Breakdown of Pedro tem acesso fácil ao mercado.
Pedro
Pedro
ter
to have
o mercado
the market
fácil
easy
a
to
o acesso
the access
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Questions & Answers about Pedro tem acesso fácil ao mercado.
What does tem mean in this sentence?
Tem is the third-person singular present form of the verb ter, which means “to have.” In this sentence, it indicates that Pedro possesses something—in this case, easy access to the market.
What is the role of ao in the phrase ao mercado?
Ao is a contraction of the preposition a (meaning “to”) and the definite article o (meaning “the”). It is used before a masculine singular noun like mercado (market) and translates as “to the market.”
Why is the adjective fácil placed after the noun acesso instead of before it?
In Portuguese, adjectives that describe inherent qualities usually come after the noun. Placing fácil after acesso (forming acesso fácil) is the most natural and idiomatic order to indicate that the access is easy.
How does the structure of this sentence compare to its English equivalent?
Both Portuguese and English typically follow a Subject-Verb-Object order. Here, Pedro is the subject, tem is the verb, and acesso fácil ao mercado functions as the object. However, Portuguese requires the use of contractions (like ao) and careful adjective placement, which can differ from English norms.
Why does the word fácil carry an accent, and what does that signify?
The accent in fácil (an acute accent on the first syllable) signals the correct stress and pronunciation. It ensures that the word is pronounced as “fa-SEEL” rather than “FAH-cil,” following standard Portuguese orthographic rules.
Could the adjective be positioned before the noun (e.g., fácil acesso) without changing the meaning?
While placing the adjective before the noun is sometimes acceptable in Portuguese, it can alter the nuance or sound less idiomatic. In this context, acesso fácil is the standard and preferred word order to convey the idea of easy access.