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O museu exibe uma pintura de 1960.

O museu exibe uma pintura de 1960.
The museum exhibits a painting from 1960.
FromLesson 30inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about O museu exibe uma pintura de 1960.

Why do we say o museu instead of just museu?
In European Portuguese, common nouns for places or institutions typically take a definite article. Saying o museu (“the museum”) is the normal, idiomatic way to refer to that institution. Omitting the article (“museu exibe…”) sounds unnatural.
Why do we include the indefinite article uma before pintura?
The article uma (“a”) marks that we’re talking about one nonspecific painting. Without it, pintura de 1960 would sound like a title or label, not a statement that “a painting from 1960” is being exhibited.
What’s the difference between exibe, expõe and mostra?

All three verbs can translate as “show” or “exhibit,” but with subtle nuance:

  • exibir is common in formal contexts (cinema, museus) and focuses on the display aspect.
  • expor is slightly more literary/formal and often used for art.
  • mostrar is more general and colloquial, simply meaning “to show” or “to point out.”
How do you conjugate exibir in the present indicative?

Exibir is a regular -IR verb. The present indicative is:
eu exibo
tu exibes
ele/ela exibe
nós exibimos
vós exibis
eles/elas exibem

Why is it pintura de 1960 and not pintura em 1960?
  • de 1960 means “from 1960,” indicating the painting’s date or origin.
  • em 1960 means “in 1960,” usually used to say when an action happened (e.g. “Ele pintou em 1960”). To link an object to its year you use de.
How do you say 1960 in European Portuguese?
You pronounce and write it as mil novecentos e sessenta.
Could we say uma pintura do ano de 1960 instead?
Yes, but it’s more wordy. You’d need the full phrase do ano de 1960, while de 1960 is shorter and preferred in everyday speech.
What’s the difference between pintura and quadro?
  • pintura refers to the artwork itself (the act or result of painting).
  • quadro literally means “frame” or “picture,” and by metonymy often refers to the physical, framed painting. Both overlap, but pintura emphasizes the artistic process/result, quadro the physical object.
Why is the preposition de used between pintura and 1960?
In Portuguese, de indicates source, origin or time reference when linking a noun to a year. Here it expresses “the painting originating from the year 1960.”
How do we know pintura is feminine?
Portuguese nouns ending in -ura are almost always feminine. That’s why we use the feminine article uma and any adjectives would also be in the feminine form.
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