Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): O quarto arrendado é silencioso à noite.

Portuguese uses ser (é) for more inherent or habitual characteristics. Saying O quarto arrendado é silencioso à noite presents “being quiet at night” as a typical trait of that room.
If you say está silencioso, you’re describing a current/temporary state (e.g., right now).

Habitual: O quarto é silencioso à noite.
Temporary/now: O quarto está silencioso agora.
Change/becomes: O quarto fica silencioso à noite.

What’s the difference between arrendado and alugado?

Both can mean “rented” in Portugal.

Arrendar is a bit more formal/legal and is the traditional verb for leasing property.
Alugar is very common in everyday speech and also used for property (and for renting things like cars).
So o quarto arrendado and o quarto alugado are both fine in European Portuguese. In Brazil, alugado is the normal choice for housing.

Why is arrendado placed after quarto? Can it go before?

In Portuguese, descriptive adjectives typically follow the noun: o quarto arrendado. Past participles used as adjectives (like arrendado) also follow the noun.
Putting it before (o arrendado quarto) sounds unnatural. Some adjectives can go before the noun for a stylistic/subjective effect (e.g., um bom quarto), but not this one.

Does quarto mean bedroom or room?

In everyday Portuguese, quarto usually means “bedroom.” In contexts like rentals or hotels, quarto is also simply “a room” (the room you rent).
For “room” in the sense of a general room in the house, you’ll also see specific words like sala (living room) or cozinha (kitchen), and the formal term divisão for “room/section” of a house.

Why is there a grave accent in à noite? Could I write a noite or á noite?

À is the contraction of the preposition a + the article a: a + a → à. With times of day, we use this contraction: à noite, à tarde, à uma, às duas.

à noite = “at night” (correct here).
a noite (no accent) = “the night” as a plain noun phrase (e.g., A noite foi longa).
á (with an acute accent) is not used here; the correct form is à (grave).

Can I say de noite instead of à noite?

Yes. De noite also means “at night” and often contrasts with de dia (“by day”).

à noite feels a bit more neutral or set-phrase-like.
de noite can slightly emphasize the contrast with daytime.
Both are correct in this sentence.

Is durante a noite also acceptable?

Yes. Durante a noite = “during the night,” which can sound a bit more explicit or slightly more formal than à noite. All three work: à noite, de noite, durante a noite.

Can I front the time phrase? For example: À noite, o quarto arrendado é silencioso.

Yes. Placing À noite at the start for emphasis is natural: À noite, o quarto arrendado é silencioso. The comma is standard when the time phrase is fronted.

Why is the definite article O used? Could I drop it?

Portuguese uses definite articles more than English. Because we’re referring to a specific room, O quarto… is normal. Dropping it (Quarto arrendado é silencioso…) would sound like a headline or note, not natural speech.

Do arrendado and silencioso agree with quarto?

Yes, adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun. Quarto is masculine singular, so: arrendado, silencioso.

Feminine: A casa arrendada é silenciosa.
Plural: Os quartos arrendados são silenciosos.

Could I rephrase it with a relative clause?

Sure. Alternatives include:

O quarto que arrendei é silencioso à noite. (“The room that I rented…”)
O quarto que foi arrendado é silencioso à noite. (passive)
The original o quarto arrendado is shorter and neutral; que arrendei highlights who did the renting.

Is there a nuance difference between é silencioso à noite and fica silencioso à noite?

Yes.

é silencioso à noite: describes a habitual quality (characteristic).
fica silencioso à noite: highlights a change that happens as night falls (“it becomes quiet at night”).

Are there good synonyms for silencioso here?

Yes, depending on nuance:

sossegado, tranquilo, calmo: peaceful/quiet.
quieto: more often “still/quiet” for people or movement; less common for places.
Antonym: barulhento (“noisy”).

Any quick pronunciation tips (Portugal)?

o quarto: roughly “oo KWAHR-too” (the r in quarto is a single tap; the final o is a weak sound).
arrendado: “uh-hren-DAH-doo” (the rr is a guttural sound in European Portuguese).
silencioso: “see-len-see-OH-zoo” (the si-o sounds like “see-oh” blending).
à noite: “ah NOY-t(uh)” (the final e is a reduced sound).