Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Hoje, há um grande desconto no centro comercial. - Today, there is a big discount at the shopping mall.

Há is the third-person singular of the verb haver used impersonally to indicate existence, just like English “there is/there are.” In há um grande desconto, it means there is a big discount. (Note: há can also mean “ago” in time expressions—e.g. há dois dias = “two days ago”—but here it solely expresses existence.)

Why is there a comma after Hoje?

The comma marks an introductory adverbial phrase and adds a slight pause or emphasis. It’s optional in everyday speech—most speakers would simply write Hoje há…—but you’ll often see the comma in more formal or written contexts.

Why is the adjective grande placed before desconto rather than after?

Portuguese normally places descriptive adjectives after the noun (e.g. desconto grande), but certain adjectives—especially those expressing size in a figurative or emphatic sense—often precede the noun. Um grande desconto conveys “a major/big discount” more idiomatically than um desconto grande in this context.

What does no stand for in no centro comercial?

No is the contraction of the preposition em + the masculine singular article o. So no centro comercial literally means in the/at the shopping centre.

What does centro comercial mean? Can I say shopping instead?

Centro comercial is the standard European Portuguese term for “shopping centre” or “mall.” In Brazil, people often simply use the English loanword shopping (or even shopping center). In Portugal you will understand shopping colloquially, but centro comercial is the preferred, fully Portuguese expression.

Can hoje be placed elsewhere in the sentence?

Yes. Portuguese word order is flexible for adverbs. You can say Há um grande desconto no centro comercial hoje or even Há hoje um grande desconto…, though initial position (Hoje, há…) is most common when you want to highlight the time.

Is the indefinite article um required here? Could we omit it?

In neutral or formal speech, you normally include um. However, in headlines, advertisements or very informal contexts you might drop it: Hoje há grande desconto no centro comercial. Omitting um makes it more punchy, like a slogan, but in everyday full sentences you’d usually keep um.

Can we use tem instead of há to say “there is” in Portugal?

In European Portuguese you almost always use há (or existe) for “there is/are.” Using ter in this way—tem um desconto—is very common in Brazilian Portuguese colloquially but would sound Brazilian or non-standard to Portuguese ears. For EP, stick with há.