Breakdown of O noivo espera a noiva no jardim.
em
in
o jardim
the garden
esperar
to wait
o noivo
the groom
a noiva
the bride
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Questions & Answers about O noivo espera a noiva no jardim.
What do the noivo and noiva mean in this sentence?
They mean groom and bride, respectively. In Portuguese, noivo is the masculine term for groom and noiva is the feminine term for bride.
Why are the definite articles o and a used before noivo and noiva?
In Portuguese, nouns typically require definite articles that agree with their gender and number. Here, o is used for the masculine noun (noivo) and a is used for the feminine noun (noiva), indicating that the sentence refers to a specific groom and bride.
How is no jardim formed and what does it mean?
The phrase no jardim is a contraction of the preposition em (meaning “in”) and the masculine definite article o. When combined, they form no, so no jardim translates to “in the garden.” This kind of contraction is very common in Portuguese.
How is the verb espera conjugated and what does it indicate in this context?
Espera is the third-person singular form of the verb esperar in the present indicative. It agrees with the subject o noivo (the groom) and means “waits” or “is waiting,” indicating that he is waiting for someone—in this case, a noiva.
Can esperar mean something other than “to wait for”? How do I know which meaning is intended?
Yes, esperar can also mean “to expect” or “to hope.” In this sentence, however, the context and the construction (with a noiva following the verb) clearly indicate that it means “to wait for.” Context is key in understanding which meaning is intended.
Is the sentence structure similar to English, and what is the general word order here?
Yes, the sentence follows a structure similar to English. It has a Subject-Verb-Object order with an additional adverbial phrase of location at the end. O noivo (the groom) is the subject, espera (waits) is the verb, a noiva (the bride) is the object, and no jardim (in the garden) shows where the action takes place.