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Questions & Answers about O jardim público é bonito.
Why is the definite article O used in this sentence instead of A?
Portuguese nouns have gender, and jardim is masculine. The definite articles must agree with the noun’s gender and number—O for masculine singular and A for feminine singular.
Why is público placed after jardim rather than before it?
In Portuguese, adjectives that describe inherent characteristics or form part of standard expressions usually follow the noun. In "jardim público", this order is conventional for referring to a “public garden.”
Why is the verb é used instead of está in this context?
The verb é comes from ser, which is used for describing inherent or permanent qualities. Since bonito indicates an enduring characteristic of the garden, ser is appropriate. Estar would be used for temporary or changeable states.
How do adjectives in this sentence agree with the noun?
Both público and bonito must agree with jardim in gender and number. Since jardim is masculine singular, the adjectives appear in their masculine singular forms.
Does the order of adjectives affect the meaning in Portuguese?
Yes, word order can subtly change the emphasis. In "O jardim público é bonito", público identifies the type of garden, while bonito describes its quality. Changing their order might shift the nuance or sound less natural to native speakers.
Is it acceptable to rephrase the sentence by altering adjective positions, for example, saying "O bonito jardim público"?
Although it is grammatically possible, reordering the adjectives can change the focus. In the original sentence, the structure clearly separates the function of the garden (being public) from its quality (being beautiful). Rearranging them might emphasize beauty more than the garden’s public character and may sound unusual in everyday usage.