Breakdown of O desfile foi organizado pela escola de costura local.
ser
to be
de
of
o
the
a escola
the school
local
local
pela
by
o desfile
the fashion show
organizado
organised
a costura
the sewing
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Questions & Answers about O desfile foi organizado pela escola de costura local.
What does desfile mean in Portuguese, and how can it translate as both “parade” and “fashion show”?
desfile can refer to:
- a public procession or parade (e.g., carnival, military parade)
- a fashion show (when related to clothing or design)
In this sentence, since it’s organized by a sewing school, desfile most likely means “fashion show.”
How is the passive voice formed with foi organizado?
Portuguese passive voice uses:
- The auxiliary verb ser in the desired tense (foi = preterite of ser)
- A past participle (organizado) that agrees in gender and number with the subject
- Optionally, the agent introduced by por
- article (here contracted to pela)
So O desfile foi organizado = “The show was organized.”
- article (here contracted to pela)
Why does organizado have a masculine singular ending?
In a passive construction, the past participle agrees with the subject:
- desfile is masculine singular → organizado ends in -o
If the subject were feminine or plural, the participle would change (e.g., organizada, organizados, organizadas).
What is pela, and why is it used here?
pela is the contraction of por + a:
- por = by
- a = the (feminine singular article for escola)
In passive sentences, por introduces the agent (“by someone”), so pela escola = “by the school.”
Could we use para a instead of por a (pela) here?
No. In Portuguese, passive voice requires por/pela to mark the agent (the doer of the action). para indicates purpose or direction, not agency.
What does escola de costura literally mean, and how does de costura function?
escola de costura literally means “school of sewing.”
- escola = school
- de = of
- costura = sewing
The phrase de costura acts like a noun modifier, specifying the school’s focus.
Why is the adjective local placed at the end of escola de costura local? Could it come before the noun?
In Portuguese, adjectives typically follow the noun they modify. Placing local after escola de costura:
- Clearly shows it modifies escola, not costura
- Sounds more natural in this context
You could say escola local de costura, but it’s less common and might slightly blur what local describes.