Breakdown of No casamento da minha prima, o noivo recebeu um anel belíssimo de ouro.
um
a
minha
my
de
of
em
in
receber
to receive
a prima
the cousin
o casamento
the wedding
o noivo
the groom
o anel
the ring
belíssimo
very beautiful
o ouro
the gold
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Questions & Answers about No casamento da minha prima, o noivo recebeu um anel belíssimo de ouro.
What does No in No casamento da minha prima mean, and how is it formed?
No is the contraction of em + o, meaning (in the). In Portuguese, prepositions often contract with definite articles: em + o = no, em + a = na, de + o = do, de + a = da, etc.
Why do we use da minha prima instead of de minha prima?
Da is the contraction of de + a, meaning (of the). Here a minha prima would be (my cousin), so de + a = da. In European Portuguese it’s normal to include the article with possessives (a minha casa, o meu carro).
Why is it o noivo instead of just noivo?
Portuguese typically uses the definite article before a noun when talking about a specific person: o noivo means (the groom). Omitting the article sounds informal or poetic. We include o because we refer to a particular fiancé (my cousin’s).
Could we say um noivo or drop the article entirely here?
Um noivo means (a groom) and wouldn’t specify that he’s my cousin’s fiancé. Dropping the article (noivo) is uncommon in European Portuguese in ordinary sentences. Since we refer to a known groom, we use o noivo.
Why is the verb recebeu used, and could we use ganhou instead?
Recebeu is the pretérito perfeito of receber (to receive), indicating a completed action in the past. You could say ganhou (literally “got” or “won”), but recebeu stresses that someone handed him the ring rather than he acquired it himself. Using recebe (present tense) would place the action in the present, which doesn’t fit a past wedding.
What is belíssimo, and how does it differ from muito bonito?
Belíssimo is the absolute superlative of belo (beautiful), formed with the suffix -íssimo. It means (extremely beautiful) or (gorgeous). Muito bonito means (very beautiful), but belíssimo is stronger and more formal.
Why is belíssimo placed before de ouro, and could we change the word order?
Belíssimo describes the ring, and de ouro indicates its material. The most neutral order is um anel belíssimo de ouro. You can also say um belíssimo anel de ouro (more poetic/emphatic) or um anel de ouro belíssimo (stressing the material first). All are grammatically correct, with slight shifts in emphasis.
Why do we say um anel instead of just anel or o anel?
Um is the indefinite article (a) and introduces something new: um anel means (a ring) that hadn’t been mentioned before. O anel (the ring) would refer to a ring already known or previously discussed.