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O frigorífico está à direita do fogão.

O frigorífico está à direita do fogão.
The refrigerator is to the right of the stove.
FromLesson 33inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about O frigorífico está à direita do fogão.

Why does à direita have a grave accent?
It marks the contraction of two a’s: the preposition a + the feminine article a before the noun direita. This merger is called crase, and it’s written à. So “está a a direita” becomes está à direita. In this fixed expression, the accent is mandatory in standard Portuguese. With a masculine noun you’d get ao (a + o), e.g., ao lado.
Why is it do fogão and not de o fogão or da fogão?

Because Portuguese contracts prepositions with articles:

  • de + o = do → do fogão (fogão is masculine)
  • de + a = da
  • de + os = dos
  • de + as = das
Could I say ao direita do fogão?
No. ao = a + o is used with masculine nouns. Direita is feminine, so you need à. You can, however, say ao lado do fogão because lado is masculine.
Why use está? Could I use fica instead?

Yes. Estar states where something is located now. Ficar is also common for where something is situated (often sounding more “permanent” or used in directions). Both are fine in European Portuguese:

  • O frigorífico está à direita do fogão.
  • O frigorífico fica à direita do fogão. Note: ser isn’t used for locations of objects, but it is used for events (e.g., A festa é na cozinha).
Do I have to use the articles (o, o) here? Can I drop them?
Keep them. Portuguese uses definite articles with specific, known items: O frigorífico, do fogão. Dropping them sounds telegraphic or non‑native except in headings or lists. Using indefinites is possible but context‑dependent: Um frigorífico está à direita de um fogão (rare without a specific context).
What’s the role of de in à direita de? When do I use de versus do/da?

The pattern is à direita de + X. If X takes a definite article, de contracts:

  • à direita do fogão (de + o)
  • à direita da mesa (de + a)
  • à direita dos/das… (plurals) If the noun typically has no article (e.g., many place names), use de alone: à direita de Lisboa. With people’s names in European Portuguese, articles are common: à direita do João / da Maria.
Is there a more explicit alternative like “on the right side of”?

Yes:

  • do lado direito de: O frigorífico está do lado direito do fogão.
  • More formal/literary: à mão direita de.
Can I change the word order?

Yes, especially for emphasis:

  • À direita do fogão está o frigorífico. This is natural and doesn’t need a comma.
Is frigorífico the same thing Brazilians call geladeira?
Yes. In Portugal the everyday word is frigorífico. In Brazil it’s geladeira. Be aware that in Brazil frigorífico often means a meat‑packing plant/slaughterhouse.
Does fogão mean stove or oven?

In Portugal:

  • fogão = the stove/cooker (often the unit; sometimes just the hob)
  • forno = the oven
  • placa = a built‑in hob/cooktop So the sentence places the fridge relative to the stove/cooker, not the oven specifically.
How do I pronounce the tricky words?
  • frigorífico: roughly “free-go-REE-fee-koo”; EP IPA: [fɾiɡuˈɾifiku] (the r is a quick tap).
  • à direita: “ah dee-RAY-tah”; EP IPA: [a dɨˈɾɐj.tɐ].
  • fogão: “foh-/foo-GOWN” with a nasal final; EP IPA: [fuˈɣɐ̃w̃] (the g may sound soft/voiced between vowels).
How do I make the sentence plural?
  • Both nouns plural: Os frigoríficos estão à direita dos fogões.
  • Only the reference noun plural: O frigorífico está à direita dos fogões. Note the plurals: frigorífico → frigoríficos, fogão → fogões.
Can I say na direita do fogão?
No. For left/right relative position, Portuguese uses a (hence à), not em. Say à direita do fogão. You can use em with lado: no lado direito do fogão is fine.
How do I refer to someone’s right side?
Use the possessive construction: à minha/tua/sua direita (e.g., Ele está à minha direita). While à direita de mim/ti/si exists, the possessive version is more idiomatic.
Why is direita feminine here?
Because it’s a noun meaning “the right(-hand) side/hand,” which is feminine (a direita). As an adjective, it agrees with the noun: lado direito, mão direita.
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