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Questions & Answers about O recheio do bolo é doce.
What does recheio mean in this context?
Recheio translates to filling in English, referring to the inner part or stuffing of the cake.
Why is the contraction do used in "do bolo" instead of simply de or o?
In Portuguese, when the preposition de (meaning "of") is followed by the definite article o (meaning "the"), they contract to form do. So "do bolo" literally means "of the cake".
How is the sentence structure similar to English?
The sentence follows a similar subject–verb–predicate adjective structure as English. O recheio do bolo is the subject, é acts as the linking verb (meaning “is”), and doce serves as the predicate adjective (meaning “sweet”).
Is the placement of the adjective doce correct in this sentence?
Yes, it is correct. In Portuguese, adjectives used as predicates (after the linking verb ser) typically come after the verb, just as in English where we say "is sweet".
What role does the verb é play in this sentence?
É is the third person singular form of the verb ser, which means "to be". It serves as a linking verb that connects the subject (O recheio do bolo) to its descriptive quality (doce).
Why is the definite article O used with recheio?
The definite article O specifies a particular filling—namely, the one in the context of this cake. It is used much like "the" in English to denote that the speaker is referring to a specific, known item.