Breakdown of O computador está muito lento hoje.
hoje
today
estar
to be
muito
very
o computador
the computer
lento
slow
Questions & Answers about O computador está muito lento hoje.
Why is there a definite article o before computador?
Portuguese typically uses definite articles where English often omits them. Here, computador is a masculine singular noun, so it takes the masculine singular article o.
Why do we use está instead of é?
Estar (here está) expresses a temporary state or condition. Since the computer is slow just today, we use está. Using é (from ser) would imply a permanent characteristic.
What role does muito play in this sentence?
In this context, muito is an adverb that intensifies the adjective lento, equivalent to very in English.
Should muito agree in gender or number with lento?
No. When muito modifies an adjective (as an adverb), it never changes form. Only when muito is used as an adjective (meaning “many” or “much”) does it agree in gender and number.
Why is lento placed before hoje, and could the order change?
Portuguese word order is flexible. Adjectives normally follow adverbs like muito, and time expressions such as hoje can appear at the beginning or end for emphasis. You could say: • Hoje o computador está muito lento.
Why use the adjective lento instead of the adverb devagar?
Lento is an adjective describing the state of the computador. Devagar is an adverb of manner and would typically modify verbs (e.g., andar devagar).
Does lento agree with computador in gender and number?
Yes. Computador is masculine singular, so the adjective is lento. For a feminine noun like a impressora, you’d say muito lenta.
How is computador pronounced in European Portuguese?
Stress falls on the last syllable: com-pu-ta-DOR. The final -or sounds like [oɾ], with a tapped r.
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