Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): A professora diz que a motivação cresce quando celebramos cada pequena vitória. - The teacher says that motivation grows when we celebrate each small victory.

dizer is the infinitive: to say
- You use it in dictionaries, after another verb (e.g. quer dizer, wants to say), etc.
disse is past tense (pretérito perfeito): said
- Ela disse que… = She said that…

In this sentence, diz is used because it talks about what the teacher generally says (present habit / general truth):
A professora diz que… = The teacher says that… (in general).

What is que doing here? Is it the same as English that, and can it be omitted?

Yes, this que is a conjunction meaning that, introducing a subordinate clause:

A professora diz que a motivação cresce…
= The teacher says *that motivation grows…*

In English, you can sometimes drop that:

The teacher says (that) motivation grows…

In Portuguese, you cannot omit que in this structure.
❌ A professora diz a motivação cresce… (incorrect)
✅ A professora diz que a motivação cresce… (correct)

So here que is mandatory.

Why do we say a motivação with the article a if we mean motivation in general, not a specific motivation?

Portuguese often uses the definite article with abstract nouns when talking about them in a general sense, where English usually has no article:

A motivação é importante.
= Motivation is important.

Other examples:

A felicidade é difícil de definir.
= Happiness is hard to define.
A coragem ajuda-nos a avançar.
= Courage helps us move forward.

So a motivação here means motivation in general, not a particular motivation.

You could say motivação cresce… without the article in some contexts, but a motivação is more idiomatic and natural here.

What exactly does cresce mean here, and how is it different from aumenta?

Crescer means to grow (literally or figuratively):

A planta cresce. = The plant grows.
A motivação cresce. = Motivation grows.

Aumentar means to increase:

Os preços aumentam. = Prices increase.

In many abstract contexts, crescer and aumentar can overlap:

A motivação cresce.
A motivação aumenta.

Both can be translated as motivation increases / grows.
Crescer often suggests something developing or growing organically; aumentar is a bit more neutral, just “goes up.”

In this sentence, cresce sounds natural and slightly more “organic” or “emotional” in tone.

Why is there no nós in quando celebramos? Shouldn’t it be quando nós celebramos ?

Portuguese is a pro-drop language: subject pronouns (eu, tu, ele, nós, etc.) are often omitted because the verb ending shows the person clearly.

(Nós) celebramos = we celebrate

The ending -amos tells you it is we (1st person plural), so you don’t need nós.

You can say quando nós celebramos; that’s grammatically correct, but:

quando celebramos is more neutral and common in writing.
quando nós celebramos can sound a bit more emphatic on we: when *we celebrate…* (as opposed to others).

So the version in the sentence is the usual, natural choice.

Shouldn’t it be subjunctive after quando, like quando celebremos instead of quando celebramos?

In Portuguese, whether you use indicative or subjunctive after quando depends on the meaning:

Habitual / general truth → present indicative
- A motivação cresce quando celebramos…
  = Motivation grows when we celebrate… (in general, whenever this happens)
Specific future event → future subjunctive in European Portuguese
- Quando celebrarmos a vitória, vamos sair.
  = When we celebrate the victory, we’re going to go out. (one specific future moment)

In the original sentence, we have a general statement about how motivation works, not a one-time future situation, so the present indicative celebramos is correct and natural.
Quando celebremos would not be used in European Portuguese here.

What does cada mean in cada pequena vitória, and how is it different from toda or todas as?

cada = each / every (individual)
- cada pequena vitória = each small victory / every little victory (focusing on them one by one)
toda / todo = all / the whole (as a totality)
- toda a vitória is unusual here; more natural in other contexts, like toda a cidade (the whole city).
todas as vitórias = all the victories

Compare:

quando celebramos cada pequena vitória
= when we celebrate each small victory (individually)
quando celebramos todas as vitórias
= when we celebrate all the victories (as a group)

So cada is highlighting every single one of the small victories.

Why is the adjective before the noun in cada pequena vitória? I thought adjectives usually come after the noun in Portuguese.

You’re right that adjectives usually come after the noun in Portuguese:

uma vitória pequena = a small victory (neutral order)

However, many adjectives can also come before the noun, and this often adds a more subjective, emotional, or emphatic tone:

uma pequena vitória
- Often sounds more “emotional” or “literary”, like a little victory in English.

In cada pequena vitória:

cada vitória pequena would sound odd and unnatural.
cada pequena vitória is the fixed, idiomatic pattern.

So here, putting pequena before vitória feels more natural and also subtly highlights the idea of “little” or “humble” victories in a positive, affectionate way.

How do you pronounce tricky words like motivação, cresce, and vitória in European Portuguese?

Approximate European Portuguese pronunciations (not exact IPA, but close):

motivação → moo-tee-vah-SÃW
- ão is nasal, like French “on” but more through the nose.
- Stress on -ção.
cresce → KRESH (in European Portuguese, the final -ce often sounds like sh)
- cr- as in “kreh”
- -esce together like “esh” / “esh”.
vitória → vee-TÓ-ree-uh
- Stress on TÓ.
- Final -ia is two syllables: ree-uh.

And the full sentence in a rough EN-friendly approximation (European PT):

A professora diz que a motivação cresce quando celebramos cada pequena vitória.
≈ Ah pruh-fuh-SO-ruh deez kuh ah moo-tee-vah-SÃW KRESH kwahn-doo seh-leh-BRAH-moosh KAH-duh puh-KEH-nuh vee-TÓ-ree-uh.

Does celebramos here mean “we (specifically) celebrate”, or can it also mean “when people / you in general celebrate”?

Grammatically, celebramos is we celebrate.
But in general statements, Portuguese often uses “we” (nós) in a broad or inclusive way, similar to English:

When we celebrate each small victory, motivation grows.
(i.e., in general, for people like us / for people in this situation)

So it can be understood as:

specific we (e.g., “we in this class / team”), and/or
a more generic “we/you/people” meaning.

It does not normally mean “you” grammatically, but the general sense of the sentence is universal: for people in general, motivation grows when they celebrate each small victory.

Could the sentence also be translated as “The teacher says that motivation increases when we celebrate every little win”? Is that still faithful?

Yes, that’s a very natural translation and still faithful to the original:

a motivação cresce → motivation increases / grows
- cresce literally = grows, but in this context increases is fine.
cada pequena vitória → every little win / each small victory
- win instead of victory is just a more informal, idiomatic English choice; the meaning stays the same.

So:

A professora diz que a motivação cresce quando celebramos cada pequena vitória.
≈ The teacher says that motivation increases when we celebrate every little win.

The nuance of cresce vs increases and vitória vs win is stylistic rather than a change in meaning.