Breakdown of A entrada do mercado está aberta.
de
of
estar
to be
o mercado
the market
aberto
open
a entrada
the entrance
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Questions & Answers about A entrada do mercado está aberta.
Why is there a definite article before entrada?
In Portuguese, we commonly use definite articles (a, o, os, as) before nouns even when speaking generally. Here, a is the feminine singular article matching entrada (a noun that is grammatically feminine). Omitting it sounds less natural: Entrada do mercado está aberta is possible but more abrupt.
What does do mean in entrada do mercado?
do is a contraction of the preposition de (“of” or “from”) + the masculine singular article o. So de + o → do, meaning “of the.” Hence entrada do mercado = “entrance of the market.”
Why is mercado masculine?
Every Portuguese noun has grammatical gender. Mercado ends in -o, which is a common ending for masculine nouns (o mercado, o carro, o livro). Its natural article is o (“the”) in the singular.
Why is aberta with an -a at the end instead of aberto?
Adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Here they describe entrada, which is feminine singular, so you use aberta (feminine singular of “open”). If the noun were masculine, e.g. o portão, you’d say está aberto.
Why is está used instead of é?
Portuguese uses estar for temporary states or conditions and ser for more permanent qualities or definitions. An entrance being “open” is a temporary condition, so we say está aberta (“is open right now”), not é aberta.
Can I omit the article and say Entrada do mercado está aberta?
You can, but it sounds more formal or newspaper-style. In everyday speech, native speakers almost always include the article: A entrada do mercado está aberta.
How would I say “The market is open”?
You would shift the subject to o mercado (the market) and say O mercado está aberto. That sentence means “the market itself is open,” whereas A entrada do mercado está aberta specifically points to the entrance being open.
Could entrada do mercado ever mean something like “market entry” in a business sense?
Yes. Context matters. In finance or business contexts, entrada no mercado (notice no = em + o) often means “entering the market.” But entrada do mercado strictly reads as “the entrance of the market” (physical doorway), so use entrada no mercado for abstract entry into a market.