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Hoje é o início da festa.

Hoje é o início da festa.
Today is the start of the party.
FromLesson 18inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of Hoje é o início da festa.

ser
to be
hoje
today
de
of
a festa
the party
o início
the start

Questions & Answers about Hoje é o início da festa.

What does the word início mean in this sentence?
Início translates to beginning. It indicates the start or commencement of an event—in this case, the party.
Why do we use the definite articles o before início and a before festa?
In Portuguese, nouns are gendered, and articles must agree with the noun's gender. Início is masculine, so it takes the article o, while festa is feminine, so it takes a. This agreement is essential for proper grammar.
Why is the adverb hoje placed at the beginning of the sentence?
In Portuguese, placing time-related adverbs like hoje (which means today) at the beginning is common. This structure sets the temporal context right away, emphasizing that the event occurs on the current day.
Can início be replaced with another word without changing the overall meaning?
Yes, you can replace início with começo, which also means beginning. For example, "Hoje é o começo da festa." Both terms are used interchangeably in many contexts, though there can be slight nuances in formality or style.
What verb tense is used in this sentence and why is it appropriate?
The verb é is the third person singular form of ser in the present tense. This tense is used appropriately here because the sentence is stating a factual, scheduled occurrence—that today marks the start of the party.
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