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A planta tem flores bonitas.

A planta tem flores bonitas.
The plant has pretty flowers.
FromLesson 17inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of A planta tem flores bonitas.

ter
to have
a flor
the flower
bonito
pretty
a planta
the plant

Questions & Answers about A planta tem flores bonitas.

What does the sentence "A planta tem flores bonitas" mean?
It means "The plant has beautiful flowers." The sentence tells you that the plant possesses flowers which are described as beautiful.
Why is the article A used before planta?
In Portuguese, nouns are typically preceded by definite articles. Planta is a feminine noun, so the feminine singular definite article A is used, similarly to how "the" is used in English.
What role does the verb tem play in this sentence?
Tem is the third person singular form of the verb ter, which means "to have." Here, it agrees with the singular subject planta, indicating that the plant has something—in this case, flowers.
How does the adjective bonitas agree with the noun flores?
In Portuguese, adjectives must agree in both gender and number with the noun they modify. Since flores is a feminine plural noun, the adjective takes the feminine plural form bonitas. This agreement is an important grammatical rule in Portuguese.
Why is the adjective bonitas placed after the noun flores rather than before it?
Unlike English, where adjectives commonly come before the noun (e.g., "beautiful flowers"), Portuguese typically places descriptive adjectives after the noun. This is a stylistic norm that emphasizes inherent qualities of the noun. In this sentence, flores bonitas means the flowers are inherently beautiful.
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