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Questions & Answers about O carro é cinzento.
What is the role of é in the sentence?
é is the third person singular form of the verb ser in the present indicative. It acts as a linking verb that connects the subject o carro to the predicate adjective cinzento, indicating a state or characteristic.
How does gender agreement work with the adjective cinzento in this sentence?
In Portuguese, adjectives must agree in gender (and number) with the noun they describe. Since carro is a masculine noun, the adjective appears in its masculine form as cinzento. If the noun were feminine, the adjective would change to cinzenta.
How does the structure of O carro é cinzento compare to that of a similar sentence in English?
The structure closely mirrors that of English. In both languages, the sentence follows a subject-verb-complement pattern: o carro (the subject) is followed by é (the linking verb, equivalent to “is”) and ends with cinzento (the predicate adjective meaning “grey”). However, Portuguese typically requires the use of definite articles where English sometimes omits them.
Can adjectives in Portuguese be positioned differently within a sentence?
Yes, while predicate adjectives like cinzento generally come after the verb in descriptive sentences, adjectives in Portuguese can sometimes be placed before the noun to convey emphasis or stylistic nuance. In the case of O carro é cinzento, the adjective is appropriately positioned after the verb.
What is the significance of the definite article o in this sentence?
The definite article o translates to “the” in English and is used to specify the noun it precedes. In O carro é cinzento, o indicates that the sentence is talking about a specific car or making a general statement about a defined concept of “car.”
Why is the present indicative tense used for the verb é in this context?
The present indicative is used to express facts, general truths, or characteristics that are inherently part of the subject. In O carro é cinzento, using é in the present indicative appropriately conveys that the car is currently, or generally, grey.