Breakdown of O chuveiro do quarto foi instalado ontem e já funciona perfeitamente.
ser
to be
de
of
e
and
ontem
yesterday
o quarto
the room
funcionar
to work
já
already
o chuveiro
the shower
instalar
to install
perfeitamente
perfectly
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Questions & Answers about O chuveiro do quarto foi instalado ontem e já funciona perfeitamente.
In chuveiro do quarto, what does do mean and why is it used?
Do is a contraction of de + o (of + the). So chuveiro do quarto literally means “shower of the room.” Portuguese always contracts de+o into do rather than saying de o.
What’s the difference between chuveiro do quarto and chuveiro no quarto?
- Chuveiro do quarto (“the room’s shower”) emphasizes possession or association: the shower belongs to that room.
- Chuveiro no quarto (“the shower in the room”) highlights location (em + o → no).
In many contexts both are acceptable, but no quarto focuses more on “in the room.”
What tense is foi instalado?
It’s the pretérito perfeito do indicativo of ser (foi) plus the past participle instalado, forming the passive voice. It corresponds to English “was installed.”
Why use the passive voice (foi instalado) instead of an active form like instalaram o chuveiro ontem?
Using the passive puts the spotlight on the shower itself (the object) rather than on whoever installed it. If you want to mention the installer, you can add an agent:
O chuveiro foi instalado ontem pelo eletricista.
What does já mean in this sentence?
Já means “already.” It indicates that by now the shower works perfectly, possibly sooner than expected.
Why is funciona in the present tense even though the shower was installed yesterday?
Portuguese uses the present tense to express a current state or general truth. Here funciona (“it works”) tells us that, at this moment, after installation, the shower is operational.
What part of speech is perfeitamente, and how is it formed?
Perfeitamente is an adverb formed by adding -mente to the feminine adjective perfeita (from perfeito). It corresponds to English “perfectly.”
How do you pronounce chuveiro in European Portuguese?
Roughly as /ʃuˈvɐj.ɾu/:
- ch = /ʃ/ (“sh” in “shoe”)
- stressed syllable vei sounds like [vɐj]
- final o is closer to [u].
Does quarto here mean “room” or “fourth”?
In this context, quarto is a noun meaning “room.” It can also be the ordinal number “fourth” (o quarto capítulo), but here it simply refers to a bedroom or room.
Why is there a definite article o before chuveiro?
Portuguese frequently uses definite articles where English might omit them. O chuveiro translates as “the shower,” specifying a particular one already known or identified.
Could you say “O chuveiro foi instalado ontem e já está a funcionar perfeitamente” instead? What’s the difference?
Yes. European Portuguese often uses estar a + infinitive for ongoing actions:
- está a funcionar = “is working” (focus on the process)
- funciona = “works” (simple present fact)
Both are correct; está a funcionar gives a nuance of “it’s currently in operation.”