Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): A turma estuda de manhã para o exame. - The class studies in the morning for the exam.

In European Portuguese (EP), you normally place a definite article before a specific, countable noun. Here turma (“group/class”) is feminine singular, so you say a turma (“the class”). Dropping the article would sound odd—unlike English where you can say “Class meets…,” in Portuguese you need that a.

Why do we use the simple present estuda instead of a continuous form like “está estudando”?

In EP the simple present (e.g. estuda) is routinely used for habitual, scheduled or general actions (“the class studies every morning”). A continuous form exists in EP (“estar a estudar”), but it’s reserved for actions happening right now. So for a routine you pick estuda.

What does de manhã mean, and can I change its position?

De manhã means “in the morning.” It’s an adverbial phrase built with de + time-of-day. You can put it: • After the verb (default): A turma estuda de manhã…
• At the start: De manhã, a turma estuda…
Both are correct; the difference is just emphasis or style.

Why para o exame? Could I say por or drop the article?

We use para to express purpose or goal (“in order to”). Estudar para o exame = “study for the exam.”
• Por would signal cause, exchange or duration, not purpose.
• You can’t drop the article before exame here, because you’re referring to a specific exam. If it were “an exam” in general, you’d say para um exame.

Why is the verb estuda singular? Isn’t turma a group of people?

Turma is a collective noun treated as grammatically singular in Portuguese. The group acts as a single entity, so you use estuda, not estudam. If you replaced a turma with os alunos (“the students”), then you’d say os alunos estudam.

Why don’t we see a subject pronoun like ela or eles before estuda?

Portuguese is a “pro-drop” language: verb endings carry the subject information, so you omit pronouns unless you want to emphasize or clarify. Here estuda already tells you it’s third-person singular.

What’s the difference between turma and classe?

In EP, turma refers to a specific cohort or group of students assigned together (e.g. “my Portuguese class” as a roster). Classe can also mean “class,” but it’s more formal or abstract (or refers to social categories). If you mean “a set of students who meet regularly,” turma is the go-to word.

Could I move para o exame to the front of the sentence?

Yes. Portuguese word order is relatively flexible with adverbials or purpose phrases. You can say:
“Para o exame, a turma estuda de manhã.”
This fronting places emphasis on the reason (the exam).