Log inSign up

O café tem bom sabor.

O café tem bom sabor.
Coffee has good taste.
FromLesson 14inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of O café tem bom sabor.

bom
good
o café
the coffee
ter
to have
o sabor
the taste

Questions & Answers about O café tem bom sabor.

What does the definite article O signify in this sentence?
O translates as “the” in English. It is used here to denote that we’re talking about a specific coffee. Since café is a masculine singular noun, the article also appears in its masculine singular form.
How does the verb tem function in this sentence?
Tem is the third-person singular form of the verb ter, which means “to have.” In this construction, it is used to indicate that the coffee possesses or “has” a good taste, rather than describing a temporary state.
Why is there no article before bom sabor? Wouldn’t it be um bom sabor?
In Portuguese, when expressing an inherent quality or characteristic like taste, it is common to omit the indefinite article. Both O café tem bom sabor and O café tem um bom sabor are acceptable. Omitting the article emphasizes that good taste is an inherent property of the coffee.
How do adjectives agree with nouns in this sentence?
Portuguese adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in gender and number. Here, sabor is a masculine singular noun, so bom remains in its masculine singular form. If the noun were feminine or plural, the adjective would need to change to match (e.g., boa for feminine singular).
Is there an alternative way to express “The coffee tastes good” in Portuguese?
Yes, you could say "O café é saboroso." While both expressions are correct, "O café tem bom sabor" highlights that the coffee possesses a good flavor, whereas "O café é saboroso" describes the coffee by characterizing it as tasty overall.
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Portuguese grammar?”
Portuguese grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Portuguese

Master Portuguese — from O café tem bom sabor to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.

  • ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning Portuguese freeBrowse the full course