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A sopa está quente demais.

A sopa está quente demais.
The soup is too hot.
FromLesson 35inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of A sopa está quente demais.

estar
to be
a sopa
the soup
quente
hot
demais
too

Questions & Answers about A sopa está quente demais.

What does the accent in está do?
It marks stress on the last syllable and distinguishes it from esta (feminine “this”). Está is the 3rd‑person singular of estar (“to be”): “he/she/it is.” So A sopa está… = “The soup is…”
Why is estar used instead of ser?
Because we’re talking about a temporary state. A sopa está quente demais = “The soup is (right now) too hot.” Using ser here would sound odd; if you wanted a general property, you might say A sopa serve‑se quente (“Soup is served hot”).
Is demais the usual word in Portugal, or should I use demasiado?
Both are understood in European Portuguese. Demasiado is the most neutral/standard in Portugal: A sopa está demasiado quente. Demais is also correct and common in speech; some hear it as a bit more colloquial or Brazil‑influenced.
Where do I put demais/demasiado in relation to the adjective?
  • Demais generally follows the adjective: quente demais.
  • Demasiado usually comes before: demasiado quente.
    Don’t say demais quente.
Is it demais (one word) or de mais (two words)?
Here it must be the single word demais (“too, excessively”). The spaced form de mais belongs to other constructions and is not used after an adjective. Don’t write quente de mais in this meaning.
Do the words need to agree for gender/number?
  • Quente ends in -e, so it doesn’t change for gender; it does for number: quente (sing.) → quentes (pl.).
  • Demais doesn’t change.
  • Demasiado (as an adverb before an adjective) also doesn’t change: demasiado quente. As an adjective before a noun, it agrees: demasiada sopa (“too much soup”), demasiados pratos.
How do I pronounce the sentence in European Portuguese?

Approximation:

  • A ≈ “uh” [ɐ]
  • sopa ≈ “SO‑puh” [ˈso.pɐ]
  • está ≈ “sh‑TAH” ([ɨ] + [ʃˈta]; the initial e reduces, and s+t sounds like “sht”)
  • quente ≈ “KEN‑t(uh)” [ˈkẽt(ɨ)]
  • demais ≈ “duh‑MYSH” [dɨˈmajʃ] (final s as “sh” in Portugal)
Does quente mean “spicy”?

No. Quente is “hot” in temperature. For “spicy,” use picante (Portugal) or sometimes apimentado (more Brazil‑leaning).

  • A sopa está picante = “The soup is spicy.”
What if I just want “very hot,” not “too hot”?

Use:

  • muito quente = very hot
  • bastante quente = quite/pretty hot
  • tão quente = so hot
How do I make it negative or ask a question?
  • Negative: A sopa não está (demasiado/…) quente.
  • Yes/no question (speech intonation does the work): A sopa está (demasiado/…) quente?
How do I say “too hot for me/us/the children”?
  • A sopa está demasiado quente para mim.
  • A sopa está demasiado quente para nós.
  • A sopa está demasiado quente para as crianças.
    (You can swap in quente demais if you prefer.)
How do I say it in the plural?
  • As sopas estão demasiado quentes.
  • Or with demais after the adjective: As sopas estão quentes demais.
Do I need the article A before sopa?
Yes, Portuguese uses definite articles a lot. With a specific soup in front of you, A sopa está… is the natural choice. Dropping the article here sounds odd.
Can I shorten está to tá?
You’ll hear Tá quente in casual speech, but in standard/written European Portuguese you should use está.
Are there related useful phrases?
  • A sopa está a ferver. = The soup is boiling.
  • Deixa arrefecer. = Let it cool down.
  • Ficou demasiado quente. = It got too hot. (EP prefers arrefecer “to cool” over Brazil’s esfriar.)
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