Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Na feira, a banca da senhora tem as melhores maçãs. - At the market, the lady’s stall has the best apples.

In Portugal, feira commonly refers to an open-air market (often weekly), so na feira is “at the market.” It can also mean “fair” (like a town fair), but if you mean a market housed in a building, you’d more likely say no mercado.

What is a banca? Is it related to “bank”?

A banca is a market “stall/stand.” It is not a bank. “Bank” is banco (which also means “bench”). So a banca da senhora = “the lady’s stall.”

What does da senhora mean exactly? Could it also mean “your” (formal)?

Da is de + a (“of the,” feminine). Senhora can mean “lady,” but in Portugal it’s also the polite form of “you” when addressing a woman. So a banca da senhora can mean:

“the lady’s stall” (talking about her), or
“your stall, ma’am” (talking to her). Context (and intonation) decides which one is meant.

If I want to say “her stall” or “his stall” unambiguously, how do I do it?

Use:

a banca dela = her stall
a banca dele = his stall Avoid sua unless the context is crystal clear, because sua can mean “his/her/your (formal).”

Why is there a comma after Na feira? Is it required?

It’s optional. A short introductory adverbial like Na feira can take a comma for clarity, but Na feira a banca da senhora tem as melhores maçãs is also correct.

Why does melhores come before maçãs? Don’t adjectives usually follow nouns?

Most adjectives follow, but some common ones—especially bom/mau and their comparatives melhor/pior—frequently come before the noun. As melhores maçãs is the natural phrasing for “the best apples.” As maçãs melhores is possible but sounds unusual or overly contrastive here.

How do I form “the best” in Portuguese? Is as mais boas maçãs okay?

Use the irregular comparative/superlative: melhor (pl. melhores) from bom/boa.

“the best apples” = as melhores maçãs Avoid as mais boas maçãs; it sounds nonstandard or childish. For “the worst,” use as piores (from mau/má). For “the most X,” use o/a(s) mais + adjective (e.g., as mais bonitas).

Why as before melhores maçãs and a before banca?

Articles agree with gender and number:

a banca (feminine singular)
as melhores maçãs (feminine plural) The adjective melhores also agrees with maçãs (fem. pl.).

Why is it tem and not têm?

Tem is 3rd person singular (he/she/it has). The subject is singular (a banca), so tem is correct. Têm is 3rd person plural (they have), e.g., As bancas têm...

Is tem ever used like “there is/there are” in Portugal?

In European Portuguese, the preferred existential is há (“there is/are”). Tem is commonly used existentially in Brazil. In this sentence, tem is simply “has” (the stall has the best apples), which is standard in Portugal.

Could I say vende instead of tem?

Yes. A banca da senhora vende as melhores maçãs means “the lady’s stall sells the best apples.” Tem is broader (“has/stocked with”), often used about shops or stalls having something for sale.

Any pronunciation tips for tricky parts?

na: like “nah” (short a).
feira: “FAY-rah” (ei ~ “ay”).
banca: “BUN-kah” (the “ã” is a nasal “uh” sound).
senhora: “sih-NYOH-rah” (nh = “ny” as in “canyon”).
tem: nasal “em,” a bit like “teng” without a hard g.
melhores: “meh-LYOR-esh” (lh = “ly” as in “million”).
maçãs: “mah-SUNSH” (in Portugal, final -s often sounds like “sh”; ç sounds like “s”; ã is nasal). Linking: as before a voiced sound often sounds like “az” (e.g., as melhores ≈ “az…”).

Why does maçãs have a cedilla (ç) and a tilde (ã)?

ç makes a soft s sound before a/ o/ u (so maç- sounds like “mas-,” not “mak-”).
ã marks a nasal vowel (no equivalent in English; think of an “ah” with air through the nose). Plural adds -s: maçã → maçãs (the nasal quality remains).

What’s the difference between na feira and à feira?

na feira = “at/in the market” (location; em + a).
à feira = “to the fair/market” (movement; a + a with a grave accent: crasis). You’d use à feira with verbs of motion, e.g., Vou à feira (“I’m going to the market”).

Any differences I should know between European and Brazilian Portuguese for this sentence?

Vocabulary: In Brazil, barraca is very common for “stall”; in Portugal banca is the usual term at markets.
Pronunciation: Final -s in Portugal often sounds like “sh” (e.g., maçãs), while in Brazil it’s typically “s.”
Existential “have”: Brazil commonly uses tem (“there is/are”); Portugal prefers há. Here, using tem as “has” is fine in both.