O metro está lotado, mas a linha azul é rapidíssima.

O metro está lotado, mas a linha azul é rapidíssima.
The subway is crowded, but the blue line is very fast.

Breakdown of O metro está lotado, mas a linha azul é rapidíssima.

ser
to be
estar
to be
mas
but
rápido
fast
o metro
the subway
lotado
crowded
a linha
the line
azul
blue
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Questions & Answers about O metro está lotado, mas a linha azul é rapidíssima.

Why is the definite article o used before metro? Could I say metro está lotado or um metro está lotado instead?

In European Portuguese, common nouns like modes of transport usually take a definite article when you speak generally or about a known system.

  • Saying o metro está lotado means “the metro (that we normally use) is crowded.”
  • Metro está lotado (no article) sounds unnatural in Portuguese.
  • Um metro está lotado would mean “a metro car/train is crowded,” focusing on just one carriage, not the system as a whole.
Why is está used instead of é in está lotado?

Portuguese distinguishes between permanent or essential qualities (using ser, e.g. é) and temporary states or conditions (using estar, e.g. está).

  • está lotado = it’s currently crowded (a temporary condition).
  • If you said é lotado, you’d imply that the metro is always crowded as an essential trait, which feels odd.
What exactly does lotado mean, and is it different from cheio?

lotado = “filled to capacity,” “crammed,” “jam‑packed.”

  • cheio also means “full,” but lotado suggests people are packed in tightly.
  • You might say o bar está cheio (the bar is full), but o metro está lotado emphasises there’s no space at all.
What is the function of mas in this sentence? Are there other ways to say “but”?

mas is a coordinating conjunction meaning but, used to introduce a contrast.
Other common alternatives in Portuguese are:

  • porém
  • contudo
  • no entanto
    They all mean “however/but,” though mas is the most colloquial.
Why is the line called linha azul (lowercase)? Shouldn’t it be capitalised as an official name?

Formally, if you refer to an official service name, you might write Linha Azul (both words capitalised). In casual contexts, people often write linha azul in lowercase, treating it like any descriptive phrase. Both are understood:

  • Linha Azul (official designation)
  • linha azul (colloquial reference)
Why is it rapidíssima and not muito rápido or rapidamente?

Here rapidíssima is a synthetic superlative adjective (formed with the suffix -íssimo/-íssima). It modifies linha (a feminine noun), so it agrees in gender: linha rapidíssima = “an extremely fast line.”

  • muito rápido is less emphatic than the superlative.
  • rapidamente is an adverb (“quickly”) and would modify a verb, not the noun linha.
How do you form the superlative rapidíssima? Why the accent on the í?

To build the synthetic superlative in Portuguese, you take the adjective stem and add -íssimo/-íssima, adjusting for gender/number:
rápido → rapidíssimo (masc. sing.)
rápido → rapidíssima (fem. sing.)
The accent on the í marks the stressed syllable in this proparoxytone word (stress falls three syllables before the end), so orthography requires the accent.

In Brazil, I’ve seen metrô with an accent. Why is it metro here with no accent?

That’s a regional spelling difference:

  • Portugal: metro (no accent)
  • Brazil: metrô (accent on ô)
    Both mean the same thing (“subway/metro”), but European Portuguese drops the accent.