Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): O voo para Lisboa foi cancelado devido ao nevoeiro. - The flight to Lisbon was cancelled due to fog.

In European Portuguese, we usually place the definite article before singular, countable nouns when referring to a specific entity. Here, O voo literally means the flight (the one we were expecting), not just any flight. Dropping the article (Voo para Lisboa) would sound more like a heading or an unnamed flight, rather than the particular flight you had booked.

Why do we use para instead of a before Lisboa, and why is there no article before Lisboa?

When indicating the destination of a journey or transport, European Portuguese often uses para + place: voo para Lisboa = “flight to Lisbon.”
– You can also say vou a Lisboa (“I’m going to Lisbon”), but for flights the standard is voo para…
– City names generally don’t take an article in Portuguese (unlike o Porto or a Guarda, which are exceptions). So we say Lisboa, not a Lisboa.

What is the structure foi cancelado, and why is it used here?

This is the passive voice in the simple past:
– foi = third-person singular of the auxiliary verb ser in the past
– cancelado = past participle of cancelar
Put together, foi cancelado means “was cancelled.” We use the passive to focus on the event (the flight’s cancellation) rather than who cancelled it.

Why does cancelado end in -ado and agree with voo?

In Portuguese, past participles used in passive constructions agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.
– voo is masculine singular, so the participle is cancelado (masc. sing.).
– If it were a conferência, you’d say foi cancelada (fem. sing.).
– For plural: os voos foram cancelados or as conferências foram canceladas.

What does devido ao nevoeiro mean, and how is it formed?

devido in this context expresses cause (“due to”), and it’s followed by a. Because nevoeiro is a masculine noun, a + o contracts to ao. So devido ao nevoeiro literally means due to the fog.
Structure: devido a + [article + noun].

Can I replace devido ao nevoeiro with por causa do nevoeiro?

Yes. por causa de is a very common, slightly less formal way to express cause. You’d say por causa do nevoeiro (because por + causa + de o → do). Both options are correct and interchangeable in most contexts.

What’s the difference between nevoeiro and névoa?

Both words refer to water droplets suspended in the air:

nevoeiro is usually a thicker fog that significantly reduces visibility (common at airports).
névoa tends to be a lighter mist or haze.
However, speakers sometimes use them interchangeably depending on region and personal style.