Breakdown of O pátio desta casa é tão amplo como o jardim, mas tem menos plantas.
ser
to be
de
of
a casa
the house
mas
but
esta
this
ter
to have
o jardim
the garden
tão
so
como
as
o pátio
the patio
amplo
spacious
menos
fewer
a planta
the plant
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Questions & Answers about O pátio desta casa é tão amplo como o jardim, mas tem menos plantas.
What is the overall meaning of the sentence?
It means "The patio of this house is as spacious as the garden, but it has fewer plants." The sentence compares the size of the patio and the garden—stating they are equally spacious—but then contrasts them by highlighting that the patio has a smaller number of plants.
How do I form comparisons of equality in Portuguese using the structure "tão ... como"?
In Portuguese, to express that one thing has the same degree of a quality as another, you use the structure "tão [adjective] como." For example, in the sentence "O pátio desta casa é tão amplo como o jardim," the word "tão" introduces the adjective "amplo" (spacious), and "como" is used to compare it with "o jardim" (the garden). The adjective does not change form because the construction itself indicates equality.
Why is "menos" used when describing the number of plants instead of using "tão" again?
The word "menos" is a comparative adverb used to indicate a lesser quantity or degree. While "tão ... como" is used to show equality in quality (in this case, the spaciousness), "menos" shows that the patio has a smaller amount of plants compared to the garden. In English, this is equivalent to saying it has "fewer" plants.
What does the word "desta" mean in the sentence?
"Desta" is a contraction of "de" (of/from) and "esta" (this). It is used to indicate possession or belonging, so "desta casa" translates to "of this house" or "this house's."
Why doesn't the adjective "amplo" change form when used in this comparative structure?
In the "tão ... como" comparative structure, the adjective remains in its base form because the comparison implies equal degree without needing to modify the adjective. The construction itself takes care of conveying that both items share the same quality.
Why is there a comma before "mas" in the sentence?
The comma before "mas" (but) is used to separate two independent clauses that offer contrasting information. The first clause presents a similarity (equal spaciousness), while the second clause introduces a contrast by noting the numerical difference in the plants.