O barulho pode piorar à noite.

The noise can get worse at night.

Breakdown of O barulho pode piorar à noite.

• a noite: the night
• poder: to be able to
• o barulho: the noise
• à: at
• piorar: to get worse

Questions & Answers about O barulho pode piorar à noite.

What does the verb form pode convey here—can, may, or might?

pode (3rd person singular of poder) expresses possibility here, so it can map to English can/may/might: “The noise can/may/might get worse at night.” It’s not about permission or ability in this context. To sound more tentative, you could use poderia (could/might) or rephrase with adverbs (e.g., talvez): Talvez o barulho piore à noite.

Why is it à noite and not just a noite?

Because of crase: it’s the contraction of the preposition a (to/at) + the feminine article a (the) = à. We use this with certain time expressions:

• à noite (at night), à tarde (in the afternoon)
• às 7 (at 7), where a + as = às

Can I say de noite instead of à noite? Is there a difference?

Both are correct and common. Nuance:

• à noite = at night, often for habitual/general time.
• de noite = at/during night, sometimes a bit more contrastive with daytime or slightly more informal. In Portugal, à noite tends to be the default.

Why is the definite article o used before barulho? Could I drop it?

Portuguese uses definite articles more than English. O barulho can mean “the (known) noise” or “noise (in general).” Dropping it here sounds odd. Alternatives:

• For generic existence: Pode haver barulho à noite. (There may be noise at night.)
• For a specific, unknown sound: Um barulho pode piorar à noite. (A noise can get worse at night.)

Is barulho countable?

Usually it’s an uncountable mass noun (noise), but it can be countable when talking about separate noises:

• Uncountable: Há muito barulho. (There’s a lot of noise.)
• Countable: Ouvi barulhos estranhos. (I heard strange noises.)

How does piorar work—does it take an object? Do I need se?

• Intransitive: O barulho pode piorar. (It can get worse.)
• Transitive: O vento pode piorar o barulho. (The wind can worsen the noise.) No se is needed. A more formal synonym is agravar (often reflexive: A situação agravou-se.).

Could I say pode ficar pior instead of pode piorar? What about pode ser pior?

• pode piorar = can worsen (focus on the change/process).
• pode ficar pior = can become worse (natural, a bit more periphrastic).
• pode ser pior = can be worse (describes a state, often comparing times: it can be worse at night than by day).

Where can I place the time phrase? Is À noite, o barulho pode piorar also correct?

Yes. Two common options:

• O barulho pode piorar à noite.
• À noite, o barulho pode piorar. (Comma after the fronted time phrase.) Avoid splitting the verb phrase: pode à noite piorar sounds unnatural.

How do I pronounce the sentence in European Portuguese?

Approximate EP pronunciation: “oo bah-ROO-lyoo POD-eh pee-oh-RAHR ah NOYT.”

• o is often [u]
• barulho: lh = “ly” (like the “lli” in million), stress on RU
• pode: final -e is very short or almost mute
• piorar: stress on -rar; single r = light tap
• à sounds like plain “a”
• noite: oi = “oy”; final -e is weak

Is noite feminine? Does that affect anything?

Yes, noite is feminine. That’s why the contraction is à (a + a), not ao (a + o). It also affects agreement in related expressions (e.g., boa noite).

When would I use na noite instead of à noite?

na = em + a (in/on the). Use it for specific nights or when you mean “during the night of …”:

• na noite de sábado (on Saturday night)
• na noite passada (last night)
• durante a noite (during the night)

Does à noite mean evenings or nights?

In Portuguese, noite typically covers the evening and the night (from after dusk until before dawn). So à noite includes evening hours.

Is there any difference between European and Brazilian Portuguese here?

Meaning and grammar are the same. Differences:

• Pronunciation: in Brazil, pode often ends with an [i]-like sound; in Europe, the final -e is very reduced.
• Usage: both à noite and de noite are common in both varieties, with regional preferences.

How can I say it happened or may have happened in the past?

• Simple past: O barulho piorou à noite. (The noise got worse at night.)
• Past possibility: O barulho pode ter piorado à noite. (The noise may have gotten worse at night.)

How do I say it might keep worsening throughout the whole night?

• O barulho pode piorar pela noite fora. (…throughout the night.)
• O barulho pode piorar a noite toda. (…all night long.)

What’s the difference between barulho, ruído, and som?

• barulho: noise, often bothersome/chaotic; everyday word.
• ruído: noise, more technical/formal; used in engineering, health, etc.
• som: sound (neutral). You can have um som alto (a loud sound) without it being “noise.”

Is the accent in à the same as in á?

No.

• à uses a grave accent and marks the contraction a + a (e.g., à noite, às 7).
• á is an acute accent that marks stress/quality of the vowel in words like rápido. You don’t use á for this time expression.