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Questions & Answers about O caminho é montanhoso.
What does the sentence "O caminho é montanhoso" literally mean in English?
It literally translates to "The path is mountainous." Here, o means "the" (masculine), caminho means "path", and montanhoso means "mountainous."
Why is the verb é used instead of está in this sentence?
Portuguese uses ser (with é as its third person singular form) to describe permanent or inherent characteristics. Since being montanhoso (mountainous) is viewed as an essential quality of the path rather than a temporary state, é is the correct choice over está, which is used for temporary conditions.
How does the adjective montanhoso agree with the noun caminho?
Adjectives in Portuguese must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. Caminho is a masculine singular noun, so the adjective takes the masculine singular form montanhoso. If the noun were feminine or plural, the adjective form would change accordingly (for example, montanhosa for feminine singular).
What is the role of the definite article o in the sentence?
The word o is the masculine singular definite article in Portuguese, equivalent to "the" in English. It indicates that the speaker is referring to a specific path with the described characteristic.
Can the adjective montanhoso be placed before the noun instead of after the verb?
Yes, Portuguese allows for some flexibility in adjective placement. Adjectives can come before the noun for stylistic or emphatic reasons (as in "O montanhoso caminho"). However, when linking a subject to a predicate adjective using ser, the standard structure is subject + ser + adjective, as in "O caminho é montanhoso."
Are there variations of the adjective montanhoso for different genders or numbers?
Absolutely. Montanhoso will change according to the gender and number of the noun it describes. For instance, the feminine singular form is montanhosa, the masculine plural is montanhosos, and the feminine plural is montanhosas. This agreement ensures that adjectives match the nouns they modify in both gender and number.