Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Aluga-se trotinete elétrica perto da ciclovia. - Electric scooter for rent near the bike lane.

It’s the “se-passive” (also called synthetic passive). With a transitive verb like alugar, se turns the clause into “X is rented.” Here, trotinete elétrica functions as the grammatical subject, and the verb agrees with it:

Singular: Aluga-se trotinete elétrica (one scooter is rented / scooter rental available)
Plural: Alugam-se trotinetes elétricas (scooters are rented)

People may also loosely read it as impersonal (“one rents”), but with a direct object present, the standard analysis is passive with subject–verb agreement.

Why is there no article before trotinete (no uma)?

In notices/ads, Portuguese often omits the indefinite article for brevity and generality: Aluga-se trotinete elétrica ≈ “Electric scooter rental.” Adding uma is possible (Aluga-se uma trotinete elétrica), but it can sound more specific (as if referring to one item) and less like a general service.

If there are several scooters, should it be plural?

Yes, standard agreement is:

Alugam-se trotinetes elétricas.

You will see non‑agreement in the wild (Aluga-se trotinetes elétricas), but for careful/standard European Portuguese, make the verb agree with the plural noun.

Is trotinete elétrica the subject or the object?

In the se-passive, trotinete elétrica is the grammatical subject (indefinite), and aluga-se agrees with it (singular). In a full analytic passive, you’d see the subject clearly: Trotinetes elétricas são alugadas.

Why is trotinete feminine, and how do I know to use elétrica?

Grammatical gender is lexical; trotinete is feminine in Portuguese. Adjectives must agree, so it’s elétrica (fem. sing.). Plural would be trotinetes elétricas. This is something you largely learn noun by noun.

Can the adjective come before the noun (e.g., elétrica trotinete)?

Normally adjectives follow the noun, so trotinete elétrica is the natural order. Preposing (elétrica trotinete) is not idiomatic here and would sound odd.

Why is it perto da and not perto a or just perto?

perto de is the correct prepositional pattern for “near.”
When followed by a noun with a definite article, de contracts with it: de + a = da → perto da ciclovia.
perto a is incorrect.
You can say just perto if nothing follows: Moro perto.

What exactly does da stand for?

It’s a contraction:

de + a = da
(Related: de + o = do, de + os = dos, de + as = das)

So perto da ciclovia = “near the bike lane.”

Does da mean a specific bike lane? How would I say “near a bike lane”?

perto da ciclovia tends to suggest a specific, contextually known lane.
For “near a bike lane,” say perto de uma ciclovia.
Note that Portuguese often uses the definite article more than English does, especially in location phrases.

Are there other ways to say “near the bike lane”?

Yes:

junto à ciclovia (right next to; note a + a = à)
ao pé da ciclovia (colloquial: by/near)
nas imediações da ciclovia (in the vicinity of; more formal)

Is alugar the right verb here? What about arrendar?

alugar is used for vehicles, equipment, short‑term items: perfect for scooters.
arrendar is mainly for real estate/long‑term leases.
For Brits: this covers “to hire” for things like cars/bikes/scooters.

Why the hyphen in aluga-se? Could I say se aluga?

In European Portuguese, in a simple affirmative main clause, clitic pronouns attach to the verb with a hyphen (enclisis): aluga-se.
When there’s negation or certain triggers, the pronoun comes before the verb (proclisis) and there’s no hyphen: Não se aluga trotinete elétrica.

How do I say it in the negative?

Não se aluga trotinete elétrica perto da ciclovia.
If plural: Não se alugam trotinetes elétricas perto da ciclovia.

Pronunciation tips (European Portuguese)?

Approximate guide (stressed syllables in CAPS):

Aluga-se: a-LOO-ga-sɨ (final -se like a light “sih”)
trotinete: tro-ti-NE-te (final -e like reduced “uh/ɨ”)
elétrica: e-LE-tri-cɐ (first e reduced, stress on LE)
perto: PER-tu (tapped/rolled r)
da: da (a as in “father,” short)
ciclovia: si-klo-VI-ɐ (final -a as a brief “ɐ”)

Link words smoothly in speech: …elétrica-perto…, …perto-da…

Is trotinete the same as “scooter”? Any regional differences?

In Portugal, trotinete (or trotinete elétrica) = stand‑up (e‑)scooter.
In Brazil, the usual word is patinete (elétrico).
In Portugal, scooter often refers to a small motorbike, not a kick/e‑scooter.
You may also see the variant trotineta; trotinete is more frequent in Portugal.

Is elétrica the correct spelling in Portugal? I’ve seen eléctrica.

Yes. After the 1990 Orthographic Agreement (in force in Portugal), the standard is elétrica (no c). eléctrica is the older spelling.

Can I reorder the sentence?

Yes, for emphasis or flow:

Perto da ciclovia, aluga-se trotinete elétrica.
Aluga-se, perto da ciclovia, trotinete elétrica.
Keep the original for a neutral, sign‑like style.

How else could I phrase this to sound like a shop sign?

Alugam-se trotinetes elétricas.
Há aluguer de trotinetes elétricas perto da ciclovia.
Trotinetes elétricas para alugar (perto da ciclovia).
Noun phrase for a banner: Aluguer de trotinetes elétricas.

All are natural in Portugal; pick based on whether you want a full sentence or a concise headline.