O sol brilha forte hoje.

The sun shines brightly today.

Breakdown of O sol brilha forte hoje.

• hoje: today
• forte: strong
• o sol: the sun
• brilhar: to shine

Questions & Answers about O sol brilha forte hoje.

Why is sol lowercase and why is there o before it?

Portuguese treats sol as a common, masculine noun, so it’s not capitalized. The definite article o (“the”) is used because it refers to the one and only sun, known to both speaker and listener.

What is brilha and why is the simple present used instead of a continuous form?

– Brilha is the 3rd-person singular present indicative of the regular verb brilhar (“to shine”).
– In Portuguese, the simple present often expresses actions happening right now (unlike English, which uses the present continuous).
– To make a continuous form in European Portuguese, you could say está a brilhar.

Is forte an adjective here? Shouldn’t it be fortemente?

– Forte is originally an adjective but can function as an adverb of manner in Portuguese, without change.
– This colloquial usage (brilhar forte) is common in speech.
– A more formal adverb is fortemente, and you can also say brilhar intensamente.

What part of speech is hoje, and can I move it around in the sentence?

– Hoje is an adverb of time (“today”).
– Portuguese word order is flexible: you can say
• Hoje o sol brilha forte.
• O sol brilha forte hoje.
• O sol hoje brilha forte.
All mean essentially the same, though the emphasis can shift slightly depending on placement.

How do I pronounce O sol brilha forte hoje in European Portuguese?

IPA transcription (European Portuguese):
[u ˈsɔɫ ˈbɾiʎɐ ˈfɔɾtɨ ˈoʒɨ]
Approximate guide for English speakers:
“OO sol BREEL-ya FOR-tuh OH-zhee”
Notes:

• l in sol is velar [ɫ], like the dark “l” in English “full.”
• lh in brilha is [ʎ], similar to the “lli” in English “million.”
• Final e in forte and hoje is the unstressed [ɨ], a bit like a quick, muted “uh.”

How would you express “is shining strongly today” in continuous forms in European and Brazilian Portuguese?

– In European Portuguese, the progressive is formed with estar a + infinitive:
O sol está a brilhar com força hoje
or
O sol está a brilhar intensamente hoje
– In Brazilian Portuguese, the gerund is used:
O sol está brilhando forte hoje
or
O sol está brilhando intensamente hoje