Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): O concerto foi curto, mas memorável.

Portuguese usually requires a definite article before singular, countable nouns. So o concerto means the concert. In English we sometimes drop “the,” but in Portuguese you need o (masculine singular) to say “the.”

Why do we use foi instead of estava?

Foi is the third-person singular preterite of ser, which we use to describe events, their outcome or inherent qualities in the past. Estava (from estar) would be used for temporary states or locations. With events like concerts, Portuguese treats them with ser: O concerto foi incrível (“The concert was amazing”).

Why are both curto and memorável masculine singular?

Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Concerto is masculine singular, so each adjective describing it must also be masculine singular: curto (m.s.) not curta, memorável (same form for m./f.).

Could I say O concerto foi breve, mas memorável instead?

Yes. Breve is a synonym of curto meaning “short.” You’d still have agreement and the same structure: O concerto foi breve, mas memorável—it sounds natural.

Why is there a comma before mas?

In Portuguese, when mas (but) links two independent clauses or contrasting adjectives, you normally separate them with a comma: foi curto, mas memorável. If you drop the comma it’s not a big deal in casual writing, but in formal writing it’s standard.

Can I swap the adjectives to say O concerto foi memorável, mas curto?

Yes, that’s grammatically fine. You’d just be emphasizing the memorability first, then the brevity. Word order of coordinate adjectives joined by mas is flexible in Portuguese.

Why does memorável have an accent on the a?

Memorável is a proparoxytone (stress on the third-to-last syllable), so by Portuguese spelling rules it needs an acute accent on á: me-mo-RÁ-vel. All proparoxytones are accented.

Is there any difference between calling it curto versus rápido?

Yes. Curto means “short” in duration, while rápido means “quick” in pace or speed. A concert can feel curto if it ends soon, but calling it rápido would suggest it moved along very briskly, which is less idiomatic for events.

Could I omit o and just say Concerto foi curto, mas memorável?

That would sound unnatural in European Portuguese. Omitting the article before a concrete event noun is very rare; you need o. In very informal notes you might see articles dropped, but standard speech and writing use o concerto.