Breakdown of Granizo caiu ontem de manhã.
a manhã
the morning
ontem
yesterday
cair
to fall
o granizo
the hail
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Questions & Answers about Granizo caiu ontem de manhã.
Why is there no article before granizo in this sentence?
In Portuguese, weather phenomena like granizo are generally treated as mass nouns and used without a definite article. You’re not referring to the hail as a specific object but stating that hail fell in general. If you wanted to point to a particular hail event (for example, the hail that damaged the car), you could use o granizo.
Why is the verb caiu and not choveu?
Although English speakers say “it hailed,” Europeans typically use cair (“to fall”) for solid precipitation: caiu granizo is the standard way to say hail fell. You might occasionally hear choveu granizo (“it rained hail”), but caiu granizo (or houve granizo) sounds more natural in Portugal.
Could we use the verb granizou instead of caiu granizo?
Yes, granizar is a valid verb and granizou is perfectly understood. However, it’s much more common in Brazilian Portuguese. In Portugal, speakers favor caiu granizo or houve granizo over granizou.
Why is caiu in the pretérito perfeito simples (simple past) instead of a compound tense?
Portuguese uses the simple past (pretérito perfeito simples) for single, completed actions at a definite time. Since the hail event occurred and ended yesterday morning, caiu is the natural tense. A compound form like tem caído would imply an ongoing or habitual action, not a one-off event.
What’s the difference among ontem de manhã, ontem pela manhã, and na manhã de ontem?
All three translate to yesterday morning, but they carry subtle stylistic distinctions:
- ontem de manhã: the most common, neutral expression
- ontem pela manhã: slightly more formal or emphatic
- na manhã de ontem: draws extra focus to the morning itself; more literary or formal tone
Can I invert the word order to “Caiu granizo ontem de manhã” or “Ontem de manhã caiu granizo”?
Absolutely. Portuguese word order is flexible, especially with weather verbs:
- Caiu granizo ontem de manhã. (focus on the action)
- Ontem de manhã caiu granizo. (focus on the time)
These changes merely shift emphasis without altering meaning.
Why is there a tilde on manhã?
The tilde (˜) marks nasalization of the vowel ã, producing /ɐ̃/. Portuguese uses diacritics like the tilde to indicate both stress and nasal vowels. Without it, manha would be a completely different word (/ˈma.na/).
Is granizo countable? Could we say os granizos?
No. Granizo is treated as an uncountable (mass) noun in Portuguese. You don’t pluralize it. To express quantity, you’d rephrase, for example:
- caíram muitos pedaços de granizo (“many hailstones fell”)
- houve granizo intenso (“there was intense hail”)