Ele fica contente quando bebe chá quente de manhã.
He is happy when he drinks hot tea in the morning.
Breakdown of Ele fica contente quando bebe chá quente de manhã.
beber
to drink
de
of
ele
he
a manhã
the morning
quando
when
quente
hot
ficar
to become
o chá
the tea
contente
happy
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Portuguese grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Ele fica contente quando bebe chá quente de manhã.
What does fica contente mean and why is ficar used here instead of estar?
Ficar in this context means “to become” or “to get.” In ele fica contente, it literally means “he gets/becomes happy,” emphasizing the change into a happy state. You could also say ele está contente (“he is happy”), which simply states his condition, but ficar highlights the transition or result.
Why is there no article before chá? Could I say bebe um chá quente or bebe o chá quente?
When referring to drinking tea in general (a habitual action), Portuguese omits the article: bebe chá = “drinks tea.”
- bebe um chá quente means “drinks a hot tea” (one serving).
- bebe o chá quente refers to a specific tea already mentioned or known to both speaker and listener.
Why is quente placed after chá? Do Portuguese adjectives always follow nouns?
Most Portuguese adjectives follow the noun, so chá quente (“hot tea”) is the default order. Adjectives can precede for stylistic reasons or emphasis (e.g. grande homem vs homem grande), but generally it’s noun + adjective.
What does de manhã mean and can it be replaced with pela manhã?
De manhã means “in the morning,” indicating when something happens. You can also say pela manhã with virtually the same meaning. You wouldn’t use da manhã here, because da would imply possession rather than time.
Can we drop the subject Ele and say Fica contente quando bebe chá quente de manhã?
Yes. Portuguese is a pro-drop language: the verb endings (fica, bebe) already tell you the subject is “he.” Omitting ele makes the sentence more concise and still perfectly grammatical.
Why are both verbs in the simple present tense (fica, bebe)? Why not use a continuous form like “is getting happy” or “is drinking”?
The simple present in Portuguese often expresses habitual actions or general truths. Here it shows a routine: whenever he drinks hot tea in the morning, he gets happy. The continuous tense (está bebendo) would stress an action happening right now, but for habits the simple present is preferred.
Can I switch the clause order and say Quando bebe chá quente de manhã, ele fica contente?
Absolutely. Both orders are correct and sound natural. The meaning stays the same, though placing quando at the start can add slight emphasis to the timing.