A corrida hoje é longa, mas divertida.

The race today is long, but fun.

Breakdown of A corrida hoje é longa, mas divertida.

• ser: to be
• hoje: today
• mas: but
• divertido: fun
• longo: long
• a corrida: the running

Questions & Answers about A corrida hoje é longa, mas divertida.

Why does the sentence start with A corrida instead of just Corrida?

In Portuguese, you normally use the definite article (o / a / os / as) before a specific noun.
A corrida means the run / the race, something specific that both speakers know about (for example: today’s training).

If you say just corrida with no article, it usually sounds more like talking about running in general (the activity), not a particular run.
So here, A corrida hoje… = The run today…, which matches the context.

Why are longa and divertida in the feminine form?

The noun corrida is feminine (you can see this from the article a), so all adjectives describing it must also be feminine and singular:

• masculine: longo, divertido
• feminine: longa, divertida

Because we’re talking about a corrida (feminine, singular), the adjectives agree: a corrida … é longa, mas divertida.

Why is hoje in the middle: A corrida hoje and not at the beginning or the end?

In Portuguese, adverbs of time like hoje are very flexible. All of these are correct:

• A corrida hoje é longa, mas divertida.
• Hoje, a corrida é longa, mas divertida.
• A corrida é longa hoje, mas divertida.

Putting hoje right after a corrida feels natural and neutral. Starting with Hoje adds a bit more emphasis on “today” as the contrast with other days.

Could I say Hoje a corrida é longa, mas divertida instead? Is there any difference?

Yes, that’s perfectly correct.

• A corrida hoje é longa… is slightly more neutral.
• Hoje a corrida é longa… highlights today a bit more, as if contrasting with other days (e.g. usually it’s short, but today it’s long).

In everyday speech both word orders are very common and the difference is subtle.

Why is it é longa and not está longa?

With adjectives describing the general, expected or characteristic nature of something, European Portuguese usually uses ser (é).

• A corrida hoje é longa: today’s run (as planned/defined) is a long one. This is more about the type of run.

Estar (está) is used more for temporary states or how something is at a specific moment, often unexpectedly.
A corrida hoje está longa could sound like “the run is feeling long today” (longer than usual / dragging), and would be less common in this context.

Why do we have a comma before mas?

Mas means but, and it connects two clauses:

• A corrida hoje é longa (clause 1)
• (a corrida hoje) é divertida (clause 2, implied subject)

In written Portuguese, you normally put a comma before coordinating conjunctions like mas, e, ou when they join full clauses.
So the comma before mas is similar to the comma before but in English: “…is long, but fun.”

Does divertida mean “fun” or “funny”?

In this sentence, divertida means fun / enjoyable.

• divertido / divertida = fun, entertaining
• engraçado / engraçada = funny (makes you laugh)

So A corrida hoje é longa, mas divertida means the run is enjoyable, not that it’s comical.

What exactly does corrida mean here: “run” or “race”?

Corrida can mean both, depending on context:

• a training run / jog: Vou fazer uma corrida. (I’m going for a run.)
• a race / competition: Participei numa corrida de 10 km. (I took part in a 10k race.)

In your sentence, without extra context, it could be the run (like a workout) or the race. Both are possible in European Portuguese.

Why are the adjectives after the noun: corrida … longa, mas divertida, not longa, mas divertida corrida?

In Portuguese, the default position for descriptive adjectives is after the noun:

• uma corrida longa = a long run
• uma casa grande = a big house

Adjectives do sometimes come before the noun, but that usually adds a special nuance (more subjective, emotional, or poetic).
So A corrida hoje é longa, mas divertida uses the normal, neutral order.

How would the sentence change in the plural?

If you talk about several runs/races, everything must agree in gender and number:

• As corridas hoje são longas, mas divertidas.

Changes:

• a corrida → as corridas (feminine plural)
• é → são (3rd person plural of ser)
• longa → longas
• divertida → divertidas

Can I say A corrida hoje vai ser longa, mas divertida? What’s the difference from é longa?

Yes, you can.

• A corrida hoje é longa…: presents it as a known fact or scheduled characteristic (today’s run is long).
• A corrida hoje vai ser longa…: focuses more on the future aspect, like “is going to be long”, often used when you’re talking about something that hasn’t started yet.

Both are natural; vai ser sounds a bit more like looking ahead.

How is corrida pronounced in European Portuguese?

In European Portuguese:

• co-: like ko in “copy”, but often a bit shorter
• -rri-: the rr is a strong, guttural sound at the back of the throat (similar to French r), i like ee in see
• -da: d is clear, a like the a in “father”, but shorter

Roughly: ko-HREE-da, with the stress on -rri-: cor-RI-da.