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Questions & Answers about O carro é vermelho.
Why is there a definite article O before carro? Why not just carro?
Portuguese normally uses definite articles before common nouns far more than English. O is the masculine singular definite article meaning “the.” So O carro literally means “the car.” Omitting it (carro) sounds incomplete or unidiomatic in most contexts.
Why not say Um carro é vermelho like “A car is red”?
Um carro uses the indefinite article (“a car”), which suggests any car in general. O carro refers to a specific car (“the car”). They convey different scopes: Um carro é vermelho means “a (some) car is red,” while O carro é vermelho means “the car is red.”
Why is the adjective vermelho placed after carro, not before?
In Portuguese, descriptive adjectives generally follow the noun: carro vermelho = “red car.” Placing an adjective before the noun is possible for emphasis or stylistic reasons, but the normal, neutral order is noun → adjective.
Why does vermelho end in -o and not -a?
Adjectives in Portuguese agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Carro is masculine singular, so the adjective takes its masculine singular form vermelho. If the noun were feminine (e.g. a flor), you’d say flor vermelha.
How do I know carro is masculine?
Most Portuguese nouns ending in -o are masculine, which makes carro regular in that sense. There are exceptions (for example, a mão is feminine), but carro follows the common pattern, so it takes masculine articles and adjective endings.
Why is the verb é (from ser) used here instead of está (from estar)?
Use ser for permanent or inherent characteristics such as color, shape, material, origin, etc. Since color is seen as an essential trait, you say O carro é vermelho. Estar describes temporary states, locations, or conditions.
Could I ever say O carro está vermelho?
You could, but that implies a temporary or unusual change (for instance, the car is turning red, or maybe it’s covered in red dust). Normally, to state the car’s inherent color you always use ser.
How do I pronounce the rr in carro?
In European Portuguese, rr is pronounced as a voiced uvular fricative [ʁ] (similar to the French “r”). A single r between vowels is an alveolar tap [ɾ], so caro (with one “r”) sounds different from carro (with “rr”).
How do I pronounce the lh in vermelho?
The digraph lh represents the palatal lateral approximant [ʎ], similar to the “lli” in English million or the Spanish “ll” in many dialects. So vermelho is pronounced roughly [veʁˈmeʎu] in Portugal.
Where does the stress fall in vermelho, and why is there no written accent?
The stress falls on the penultimate syllable ver-MEL-ho. Portuguese spelling rules say that words ending in a vowel (here -o) are automatically stressed on the penultimate syllable (called “paroxítonas”), so no accent mark is necessary.