Breakdown of Este bairro é seguro à noite.
ser
to be
a noite
the night
este
this
o bairro
the neighbourhood
seguro
safe
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Questions & Answers about Este bairro é seguro à noite.
Why is “à” used before “noite” and what does it represent?
“À” is the contraction of the preposition a + the feminine singular article a, so a + a noite = à noite. It means “at night” in a general sense. You’ll also see de noite colloquially, but à noite is the standard way to say “at night.” If you need to specify a particular night (e.g. “last night”), you’d use na noite, as in na noite de ontem.
Why is the adjective “seguro” masculine singular here?
In Portuguese adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. “Bairro” is masculine singular, so you use seguro (masc. sg.). If you were talking about “ruas” (feminine plural), you’d say ruas seguras.
Why do we use ser in “é seguro” instead of estar?
Ser expresses a permanent or characteristic quality. Saying este bairro é seguro means “this neighborhood is (generally) safe.” If you said está seguro, it would more likely refer to a person feeling safe rather than the neighborhood’s general safety.
When should I use este, esse, or aquele with bairro?
These are demonstratives:
- este bairro: close to the speaker
- esse bairro: closer to the listener (or just being mentioned)
- aquele bairro: far from both speaker and listener
Use este if you’re talking about the neighborhood you’re in or very near you.
Can you include the definite article o before bairro when using este?
No, you don’t stack the article and the demonstrative. You say either o bairro or este bairro, but not este o bairro. The demonstrative already carries the article’s function in Portuguese.
Is “de noite” interchangeable with “à noite”?
You’ll hear de noite in informal speech and some regions, and listeners will understand you. However, à noite is the more canonical expression for “at night” in European Portuguese.
How do you pronounce bairro and seguro in European Portuguese?
- bairro: [ˈbaj.ɾu], where ai sounds like “eye” and r is a tapped sound.
- seguro: [sɨˈɣu.ɾu], with e as a closed vowel /ɨ/, g between vowels as a voiced fricative /ɣ/, and final r tapped.
Why is “noite” feminine in Portuguese?
Nouns in Portuguese have grammatical gender, and noite happens to be feminine. That’s why you say a noite and contract it to à noite when using the preposition a.