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Esta época de chuva exige paciência.

Esta época de chuva exige paciência.
This rainy season requires patience.
FromLesson 26inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about Esta época de chuva exige paciência.

Why is esta used instead of este?
Época is a feminine noun, so you need the feminine demonstrative esta. You would use este only with a masculine noun (for example, este dia).
Could I use essa instead of esta?
Yes, but there’s a nuance. Esta refers to something close to the speaker (“this rainy season we’re experiencing”), while essa points to something mentioned before or closer to the listener (“that rainy season you mentioned”).
What does the preposition de do in época de chuva?
The de links época (period) to chuva (rain), indicating the type of period (“period of rain”). It’s the standard way to say “rainy period” in Portuguese.
Why is there no article before chuva?
Here chuva is used in a general sense (the rainy season in general), so you omit the article. If you want to be more specific you can say época das chuvas (“period of the rains”).
Why is exige used instead of exigem?
Exige is the third-person singular of exigir in the present indicative. The subject esta época is singular, so the verb agrees with it: esta época exige.
Why is exigir followed directly by paciência without a preposition?
Exigir is a transitive verb that takes a direct object. Paciência is that direct object, so no preposition is needed.
Could I add an article before paciência?
Yes. You could say exige a paciência, but when you speak of abstract qualities in a general way, it’s common to drop the article. Adding a makes it slightly more specific or formal.
Could I use a subordinate clause with exigir instead of a noun?
Absolutely. You can say Esta época de chuva exige que tenhamos paciência, using que + subjunctive (tenhamos) to emphasize “that we must be patient.”
Is there another way to say “rainy season”?
In Portugal you might also hear estação das chuvas or época chuvosa. Estação refers more to meteorological seasons, while época chuvosa uses the adjective chuvosa instead of the noun phrase de chuva.
What’s the difference between época and temporada?
Época is a general period when something happens (like época de chuva). Temporada often refers to a series or cycle (for example, temporada de futebol or a TV temporada).
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