Questions & Answers about Este filme é incrível.
Very literally:
- Este = this (masculine, singular)
- filme = film / movie (masculine, singular noun)
- é = is (3rd person singular of ser)
- incrível = incredible / amazing (adjective)
So the structure matches English closely: This film is incredible.
Portuguese distinguishes two verbs for to be: ser and estar.
- é (from ser) is used for more permanent or defining qualities.
- está (from estar) is used for temporary states or conditions.
Este filme é incrível.
- Suggests that being incredible is a general, inherent quality of the film.
- Similar to “This film is incredible” in a general, timeless way.
Este filme está incrível.
- Sounds more like “This film is (currently) amazing,” emphasizing a particular showing, version, or moment.
- Often used for things that can vary: A sopa está incrível hoje – “The soup is amazing today.”
With films, é incrível is the more neutral/default compliment.
All three mean some version of this/that, but they encode distance (physical or mental):
- este = this, near the speaker
- esse = that, near the listener or just mentioned in conversation
- aquele = that (over there), far from both speaker and listener
With filme:
- este filme – this film (e.g. the one we’re watching now, or just picked up)
- esse filme – that film (near you, or the one you just mentioned)
- aquele filme – that film over there / that one we’re both thinking of but not close to
In practice, este filme is natural when you’re directly referring to the movie you’re currently watching or holding.
In Portuguese, when a demonstrative like este/esse/aquele comes directly before a noun, you normally do not use a definite article as well.
So:
- ✅ Este filme é incrível.
- ❌ O este filme é incrível.
- ❌ Este o filme é incrível.
The demonstrative este already contains the idea of “this specific film”, so an extra o (the) would be redundant and ungrammatical.
Yes, you can say Este é um filme incrível, and it’s perfectly correct. The nuance changes slightly:
Este filme é incrível.
- Focuses on the film itself: “This film is incredible.”
Este é um filme incrível.
- Literally “This is an incredible film.”
- Emphasizes “this (thing)” first, and then identifies it as an incredible film.
In most contexts, both are natural and very close in meaning.
Grammatical gender in Portuguese is partly unpredictable and has to be learned word by word.
- filme is a masculine noun: o filme (the film).
- Many (but not all) nouns ending in -e can be either masculine or feminine. There isn’t a reliable rule here.
You normally learn:
- o filme (masculine)
- a cidade (feminine)
by memorizing the article with the noun.
In your sentence, the masculinity of filme is reflected in este (masculine) rather than esta (feminine).
Adjectives in Portuguese agree in gender and number with the noun, but they don’t all change in the same way.
Common types:
- -o / -a type:
- bonito (m.sg.), bonita (f.sg.)
- invariable in gender (same form for masculine and feminine):
- incrível (m/f.sg.)
- feliz (m/f.sg.)
incrível does not change with gender; it only changes with number:
- singular: incrível
- o filme é incrível
- a série é incrível
- plural: incríveis
- os filmes são incríveis
- as séries são incríveis
So incrível is already the correct masculine singular form.
Adjectives can sometimes go before the noun in Portuguese, but it’s less common and often changes the style or nuance.
- este filme incrível – neutral, standard: “this incredible film”
- este incrível filme – possible, but more literary / rhetorical, or used for emphasis.
In everyday speech, este filme incrível is much more natural. Este incrível filme sounds more like something from a review, speech, or a more dramatic style.
incrível overlaps with several English words:
- incredible
- amazing
- awesome
- unbelievable
In modern everyday language it usually means simply “very good / impressive / amazing”, not literally “hard to believe”.
It’s neutral and widely used in both spoken and written Portuguese in Portugal. It can also be used sarcastically, like English “incredible…”, depending on tone and context.
Approximate European Portuguese pronunciation (Lisbon area):
Este – [ˈeʃ.tɨ]
- e like English “e” in “get”
- st becomes ʃt (like sh
- t)
- final e is a reduced sound [ɨ], like a very short, neutral vowel
filme – [ˈfiɫ.mɨ]
- fi like “fee”
- l is a “dark L” [ɫ], similar to the L in English “full”
- final e again is reduced [ɨ]
é – [ɛ]
- open e, like “e” in English “bet”
incrível – [ĩˈkɾi.vɛɫ]
- initial in- is nasal: [ĩ], a nasal “ee” sound
- cr rolled or tapped r [ɾ]
- stress on -crí-: in-CRÍ-vel
- final l is velarized [ɫ], similar to English dark L
Spoken quickly, you’ll hear something like: ˈeʃ.tɨ ˈfiɫ.mɨ ɛ ĩˈkɾi.vɛɫ.
In Portuguese, accents indicate stress and often the quality (open/closed) of the vowel.
é
- The acute accent (´) shows that this e is stressed and open [ɛ].
- Without the accent (e), it would be a different word (e.g. the conjunction e = “and”, pronounced [i]).
incrível
- The accent on í shows that this syllable is stressed: in-CRÍ-vel.
- Without the accent (incrivel), stress would shift or the spelling would be simply incorrect according to Portuguese rules.
So the accents are crucial for correct pronunciation and meaning.
In everyday European Portuguese, filme is by far the most common, neutral word.
There is also:
- película – more technical or old-fashioned, often used in cinema/film-making contexts for the physical film itself or in formal/arty language.
For most situations, especially as a learner, filme is the word you should use.
Yes, you can say:
- O filme é incrível. – “The film is incredible.”
Difference in nuance:
Este filme é incrível.
- Refers to this specific film (e.g. the one we’re watching/talking about right now).
O filme é incrível.
- Also specific, but a bit more generic: “The film is incredible” (the film we already know which one it is).
- Could sound like you’re talking about a film known from context (e.g. a famous film already mentioned).
Both are correct; este filme adds explicit “this (one here)”.