Breakdown of Gengiva sangra quando escovo os dentes.
quando
when
escovar
to brush
o dente
the tooth
a gengiva
the gum
sangrar
to bleed
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Portuguese grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Gengiva sangra quando escovo os dentes.
Why is the word gengiva in the singular form even though in English we usually say “gums”?
In Portuguese, gengiva often refers to the gum tissue as a single, collective unit rather than as individual parts. Although English typically uses the plural “gums,” Portuguese conventionally employs the singular in this context.
What tense and person is used in escovo, and why isn’t the subject pronoun included?
Escovo is the first-person singular form of the verb escovar in the present indicative tense, meaning “I brush.” Portuguese is a pro-drop language, so the subject pronoun eu (“I”) is omitted because the verb’s ending already makes the subject clear.
What role does quando play in the sentence?
Quando functions as a conjunction that introduces a subordinate adverbial clause of time. It links the main clause “gengiva sangra” with the clause “escovo os dentes,” effectively indicating the moment when the bleeding occurs.
Why is the definite article os used before dentes?
In Portuguese, definite articles are commonly used with body parts to denote familiarity or specificity. Os dentes literally means “the teeth,” and the article emphasizes that it’s referring to the commonly known set of teeth, paralleling how such parts are mentioned in Portuguese.
How is the sentence structured in terms of its clauses?
The sentence has a clear structure: the main clause gengiva sangra states the primary observation (“the gum bleeds”), and the subordinate clause quando escovo os dentes provides additional information about the timing of the action (“when I brush my teeth”). This separation helps to clarify cause and timing within the sentence.