Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): A irmã do noivo quer ajudar a noiva a escolher o vestido perfeito. - The groom’s sister wants to help the bride choose the perfect dress.

It means "of the groom." In Portuguese, "do" is a contraction of "de" (of) and "o" (the), used to indicate possession. So "a irmã do noivo" translates to "the groom's sister."

Why is the bride introduced as "a noiva" with the preposition "a"?

In Portuguese, when a specific person is the direct object of an action, the personal a is used. Here, "noiva" refers to the bride—a person—so the preposition "a" is required before the noun.

What is the function of the phrase "a escolher o vestido perfeito" in this sentence?

This phrase is an infinitive complement that explains what the bride is being helped to do. The structure "ajudar a" followed by an infinitive (in this case, "escolher" meaning "to choose") is common in Portuguese, indicating the action that is intended to be assisted—"choose the perfect dress."

Why is "vestido" preceded by the masculine article "o" even though dresses might seem feminine in English?

In Portuguese, nouns have a grammatical gender that doesn’t necessarily match their real-world association. The word "vestido" is inherently masculine, so it takes the article "o." This is due to the language’s grammatical rules rather than any implication about the dress itself.

How is possession expressed and what is the overall structure of this sentence?

Possession is expressed through a prepositional phrase. "A irmã do noivo" literally means "the sister of the groom" (or "the groom's sister") because the contraction "do" combines "de" and "o." Overall, the sentence is structured as follows: • Subject: A irmã do noivo (the groom's sister) • Main Verb: quer (wants) • Complement: ajudar a noiva a escolher o vestido perfeito, where "a noiva" is the direct object (the person being helped) and "a escolher o vestido perfeito" is the infinitive phrase explaining what the bride is being helped with.