O carro usado é mais barato do que um carro novo.

The used car is cheaper than a new car.

Breakdown of O carro usado é mais barato do que um carro novo.

• ser: to be
• um: a
• o carro: the car
• novo: new
• mais: more
• do que: than
• barato: cheap
• usado: used

Questions & Answers about O carro usado é mais barato do que um carro novo.

Why does the adjective usado come after the noun carro, rather than before?

In Portuguese, adjectives typically follow the noun they modify. So you say carro usado (lit. “car car used”) rather than “used car.” This applies to most adjectives: casa grande (“big house”), livro interessante (“interesting book”).

How do you form comparatives like “more inexpensive” in Portuguese?

Portuguese uses the pattern mais + adjective + do que to express “more ... than.” In this case, mais barato do que means “cheaper than.” So the general formula is:
• mais alto do que (taller than)
• mais rápido do que (faster than)
• mais caro do que (more expensive than)
Here do is the contraction of de + o, and que means “than.”

Can you say mais barato que without do?

In European Portuguese, the standard form is mais + adjective + do que (using the contraction do). Omitting do (saying mais barato que) is more common in Brazilian Portuguese colloquially. But in Portugal, it’s best to keep do que.

Why is the second carro introduced with um, not o?

The first carro is specific (the used car we’re talking about), so it uses the definite article o. The second one refers to any new car in general, so it uses the indefinite article um (“a”).
• O carro usado = “the used car” (specific)
• um carro novo = “a new car” (non-specific)

Can I omit the second carro and just say o novo?

Yes. Once you’ve mentioned carro, you can drop it the second time if context is clear:
“O carro usado é mais barato do que o novo.”
Here o novo stands for “the new [car].”

How do adjectives agree in gender and number in Portuguese?

Adjectives must match the noun they describe. Carro is masculine singular, so both usado and barato end in -o. For a feminine noun like casa, you’d say:
• A casa usada é mais barata do que uma casa nova.
Plural for carro:
• Os carros usados são mais baratos do que os carros novos.

Could I express this idea using a different verb, like custar?

Absolutely. You can say:
“O carro usado custa menos do que um carro novo.”
Here you use custar (“to cost”) and menos (“less”) instead of mais + adjective.

What’s the difference between usado and velho?

Usado means “used/second-hand” (it was owned before).
Velho means “old” (age or condition). A carro usado isn’t necessarily very old; it just had a previous owner. A carro velho focuses on age or wear.

How do you pronounce barato and where is the stress?

Barato is pronounced [bɐˈɾa.tu] in European Portuguese. The stress falls on the second syllable: ba-RA-to. The initial a is more open [ɐ].