Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Este texto traduzido é fácil de entender. - This translated text is easy to understand.

este – this, near the speaker (physically or in the discourse)
esse – that, near the listener or just mentioned by the other person
aquele – that (over there), far from both speaker and listener (physically or mentally)

In Este texto traduzido é fácil de entender, este suggests something like:

“this translated text (here / that we’re looking at now / that I’ve just mentioned)”

So este is natural because the speaker is treating the text as something “close” to them (for example, on the page or the screen they’re both looking at, or just introduced in the conversation).

Why is there no article in este texto traduzido? Could I say este é um texto traduzido instead?

Both are possible, but they’re not identical.

Este texto traduzido é fácil de entender.
- Literally: “This translated text is easy to understand.”
- Structure: [demonstrative] + [noun] + [adjective]
- You’re pointing to a specific text you already have in mind.
Este é um texto traduzido fácil de entender.
- Literally: “This is a translated text (that is) easy to understand.”
- Structure: [demonstrative pronoun] + [verb “ser”] + [indefinite noun phrase]
- Sounds a bit more like a classification: “this is a translated text that is easy to understand,” rather than directly describing that text.

In your original sentence, este works as a determiner directly modifying texto, so you don’t need um:

este texto = this text
not este um texto

Thus Este texto traduzido… is the most natural way to say “This translated text…”.

What is the function of traduzido here? Is it a verb or an adjective?

In Este texto traduzido é fácil de entender, traduzido is a past participle used adjectivally. Grammatically, it’s an adjective describing texto:

texto traduzido = translated text

Even though traduzir is a verb (“to translate”), its past participle traduzido behaves like an adjective when used after a noun:

um livro traduzido – a translated book
uma carta traduzida – a translated letter

Note how the ending changes to match the gender/number of the noun (see the next question for more on that).

Why does traduzido end in -o? Would it change with a feminine noun?

Yes, it changes to agree with the noun’s gender and number.

texto is masculine singular, so the participle/adjective is:
- traduzid
  - o → traduzido

Compare with other forms:

Masculine singular: texto traduzido
Feminine singular: frase traduzida (translated sentence)
Masculine plural: textos traduzidos
Feminine plural: frases traduzidas

So traduzido is masculine singular because it has to agree with texto.

Why is the adjective traduzido placed after texto instead of before, like in English (“translated text”)?

In Portuguese, adjectives typically come after the noun:

texto traduzido – literally “text translated”

Some adjectives can go before the noun, often adding nuance or emphasis, but the default position in Portuguese is noun + adjective.

So:

translated text → texto traduzido (standard, neutral word order)
fácil texto would not be correct; it must be texto fácil, etc.

Your sentence keeps to that normal pattern: texto (noun) + traduzido (adjective).

Why is it é fácil de entender and not é facilmente entendido?

Both are grammatically possible, but they are different in style and frequency:

é fácil de entender
- Very common, natural, and conversational.
- fácil de + infinitive is a standard pattern:
  - fácil de ler – easy to read
  - difícil de pronunciar – hard to pronounce
- Focuses on the ease of the action for someone: “easy for (people) to understand.”
é facilmente entendido
- Literally: “is easily understood.”
- Sounds more formal, more passive, and a bit stiff in everyday speech.
- Focuses more on the result (“it is understood easily”) than on the action itself.

In everyday European Portuguese, é fácil de entender is the most natural way to say “is easy to understand.”

Why do we use de before entender? Could we say é fácil entender instead?

The pattern adjective + de + infinitive is very common with adjectives like:

fácil de, difícil de, bom de, mau de, etc.

So you get:

fácil de entender – easy to understand
difícil de explicar – hard to explain

In European Portuguese, é fácil de entender is the most idiomatic version.

You can also hear é fácil entender (without de); it’s not wrong, but:

In Portugal, é fácil de entender is more typical and sounds smoother.
In Brazil, dropping de (e.g. é fácil entender) is more frequent.

For a learner aiming at Portuguese from Portugal, keep é fácil de entender as your default.

Why is it é fácil and not está fácil here?

The choice between ser (é) and estar (está) depends on whether you see the property as:

inherent / characteristic → use ser
temporary / changing → use estar

Este texto traduzido é fácil de entender.

Here, easy to understand is being presented as a general, inherent quality of this translated text. So ser (é) is correct.

Using está fácil would suggest a temporary state, e.g. that right now something has become easy:

Hoje este exercício está fácil. – Today this exercise is (seems/feels) easy.

With texts and their level of difficulty, we usually treat it as a more stable characteristic, so é fácil is the natural choice.

What is the difference between entender, compreender, and perceber in European Portuguese?

In everyday European Portuguese:

entender
- Very common for understanding language, explanations, content.
- Entendo este texto. – I understand this text.
compreender
- Close in meaning to entender, but a bit more formal or a shade more “deep”.
- More common in formal writing, education, psychology, etc.
- Compreendo a mensagem do texto. – I understand/grasp the message of the text.
perceber (in Portugal)
- Often used where English would say “to understand”, especially in speech:
  - Percebes? – Do you understand? / You get it?
- Also means to notice / to realize.

In your sentence, é fácil de entender is very natural. You could also hear:

É fácil de perceber. – especially in Portugal, meaning basically the same thing in this context.

How do you pronounce texto and entender in European Portuguese?

Approximate European Portuguese pronunciations (IPA) and tips:

texto – /ˈtɛʃtu/
- tex-: /tɛʃ/ – like “tesh” (short e, and x here sounds like sh).
- -to: /tu/ – close “too” but shorter.
- Stress on the first syllable: TEX-to.
entender – /ẽtẽˈdeɾ/ (European Portuguese)
- Initial e-: often somewhat nasal /ẽ/, not like a strong “ee”.
- ten: /tẽ/ – nasal sound; kind of like “tehn” with the air going through the nose.
- der: /ˈdeɾ/ – r is usually a light tap, similar to a very quick d in American English “ladder”.
- Stress on the last syllable: en-ten-DER.

Spoken quickly, é fácil de entender sounds something like:
[ɛ ˈfasil dẽtẽˈdeɾ] (with some syllables reduced and nasalized).

Could the word order be Este texto é fácil de entender traduzido?

No, that order is not natural in Portuguese.

Este texto traduzido é fácil de entender.
- Means: “This translated text is easy to understand.”
- traduzido is an adjective directly modifying texto.

If you say:

Este texto é fácil de entender traduzido.

it sounds like “This text is easy to understand translated”, which is confusing and ungrammatical in Portuguese; traduzido loses its clear link to texto.

To keep traduzido as an adjective of texto, it must stay close to it:

Este texto traduzido é fácil de entender.

If you wanted to separate the ideas, you’d need a different structure:

Este texto foi traduzido e é fácil de entender.
- “This text was translated and is easy to understand.”

Can I use para instead of de, as in é fácil para entender?

In this structure, para is not the natural choice; de is.

Correct:

é fácil de entender – easy to understand
é difícil de pronunciar – hard to pronounce

é fácil para entender sounds foreign and incorrect in this context.

You can use para in other constructions, for example:

É fácil para mim entender este texto.
- “It is easy for me to understand this text.”

But when you’re doing adjective + infinitive as a general property (not specifying for whom), stick to:

fácil de + infinitive
difícil de + infinitive

So your sentence should stay: é fácil de entender, not para entender.

Are there other natural ways to express the same idea in European Portuguese?

Yes, several alternatives are possible, with slightly different styles:

É fácil entender este texto traduzido.
- Drops de and moves the infinitive first.
- Acceptable and understandable in European Portuguese; more common in Brazil.
Este texto traduzido é de fácil compreensão.
- More formal and a bit bookish.
- Literally: “This translated text is of easy comprehension.”
É um texto traduzido fácil de entender.
- Still okay, but the property fácil de entender feels a bit more loosely attached.

For standard, neutral European Portuguese, your original sentence:

Este texto traduzido é fácil de entender.

is perfectly natural and idiomatic.