Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Às vezes, a minha imaginação é tão forte que o sonho parece real. - Sometimes my imagination is so strong that the dream feels real.

Às vezes fico em casa. = Sometimes I stay at home.
Lembro-me de as vezes em que viajámos juntos. = I remember the times when we travelled together.

So for sometimes, you must write Às vezes with the accent.

Why do we say a minha imaginação and not just minha imaginação?

In European Portuguese, it is normal and preferred to use the definite article with possessive adjectives:

a minha imaginação = my imagination
o meu carro = my car
os meus amigos = my friends

You can drop the article sometimes (for style, emphasis, or in very colloquial speech), but in Portugal the version with the article is the standard, natural form.

In Brazilian Portuguese, you more often hear minha imaginação, meu carro, etc., without the article, but in Portugal a minha imaginação sounds more native.

Why is imaginação feminine and sonho masculine? Do I just have to memorize that?

Yes, grammatical gender of nouns in Portuguese is largely something you have to memorize, but there are helpful patterns:

Nouns ending in -ção (like imaginação) are almost always feminine:
- a imaginação, a estação, a informação, a situação
Nouns ending in -o (like sonho) are usually masculine:
- o sonho, o carro, o livro

So:

a imaginação (feminine)
o sonho (masculine)

The adjective forte stays the same in masculine/feminine singular:

a minha imaginação é forte
o meu sonho é forte

In the plural it becomes fortes:

as minhas imaginações são fortes
os meus sonhos são fortes

What exactly does the structure tão … que mean?

tão + adjective/adverb + que = so … that in English.

In the sentence:

tão forte que o sonho parece real
= so strong that the dream seems real

More examples:

Ele está tão cansado que não consegue falar.
= He is so tired that he can’t speak.
O filme é tão longo que adormeci.
= The film is so long that I fell asleep.

Compare with:

muito forte = very strong (no consequence expressed)
tanto que often means so much that / so many that, usually followed by a full clause:
- Choveu tanto que as ruas inundaram. = It rained so much that the streets flooded.

Why is it é tão forte and not está tão forte here?

Both ser (é) and estar (está) can work with adjectives, but they have different nuances:

ser: more inherent, characteristic, or general qualities
estar: more temporary, changeable states

In a minha imaginação é tão forte, it suggests:

My imagination is (generally) very strong. → a characteristic of the person.

If you said:

A minha imaginação está tão forte hoje.
= My imagination is so strong today.

That would sound like a temporary, current state (today, right now).

In the original sentence, é fits better because it describes how the imagination usually is, not only at this moment.

Why do we say o sonho with a definite article? Could we just say sonho parece real?

You generally need the article with a concrete singular noun like sonho in this context.

o sonho = the dream (a specific dream you’re talking about)

Sonho parece real (without the article) sounds wrong / incomplete in standard Portuguese.

You could change the sentence and say:

Sonhar parece real. = Dreaming seems real. (now sonhar is a verb in infinitive)

But with the noun sonho, you normally include the article:

O sonho parece real. = The dream seems real.

Why is it parece and not parece-se? When do you use parecer-se?

Portuguese has two related patterns:

parecer + adjective / noun / clause
- Works like to seem / to appear in English.
- No reflexive pronoun.
- Examples:
  - O sonho parece real. = The dream seems real.
  - Ela parece cansada. = She seems tired.
parecer-se com + noun
- Means to look like / to resemble something or someone.
- Uses the reflexive pronoun and com.
- Examples:
  - Ele parece-se com o pai. = He looks like his father.
  - Esta cidade parece-se com Lisboa. = This city looks like Lisbon.

In the sentence o sonho parece real, we are not saying the dream resembles something specific; we are saying it seems / feels real, so we use parecer without -se.

Can I change the word order and say A minha imaginação, às vezes, é tão forte que o sonho parece real?

Yes. All of these are grammatically correct, with only slight differences in emphasis:

Às vezes, a minha imaginação é tão forte que o sonho parece real.
→ Main focus: sometimes this happens.
A minha imaginação, às vezes, é tão forte que o sonho parece real.
→ Slightly more focus on my imagination; às vezes is parenthetical.
A minha imaginação é, às vezes, tão forte que o sonho parece real.
→ Emphasis on the degree (tão forte) with às vezes inserted.

All three would be understood and acceptable in European Portuguese. The original is probably the most natural in simple written style.

Is the comma before que necessary in tão forte que o sonho parece real?

You usually do not put a comma directly before que in the fixed structure tão … que when it introduces a result:

… é tão forte que o sonho parece real.

Adding a comma would be unusual and could break the close link between tão forte and que o sonho parece real. So in this sentence, you should write it without a comma before que.

What is the difference between sonho and sono?

They are related but not the same:

o sonho
- the dream (what you see/experience while sleeping, or a hope/ambition)
- Examples:
  - Tive um sonho estranho. = I had a strange dream.
  - O meu sonho é viver no campo. = My dream is to live in the countryside.
o sono
- the state of sleep / sleepiness
- Examples:
  - Tenho sono. = I’m sleepy.
  - O sono dele é muito leve. = His sleep is very light.

In the sentence, o sonho clearly refers to the dream itself.

How do you pronounce Às vezes and imaginação in European Portuguese?

Approximate IPA for European Portuguese:

Às vezes → /aʒ ˈvezɨʃ/
- Às: like "azh" (the s sounds like zh /ʒ/ before voiced consonants)
- vezes: VE as in vEry, then zɨsh*: vez-esh with a final sh sound
imaginação → /imɐʒinɐˈsɐ̃w̃/
Rough breakdown:
- i = ee
- ma = very reduced, like muh
- gi = zhee (soft g before i/e → /ʒ/)
- na = reduced nuh
- ção = nasal sound, like "sown" with the n not fully pronounced

Very approximate English-like guide: ee-muh-zhee-nuh-SOWN (last syllable nasal).

Are there other common ways to say “sometimes” in European Portuguese besides Às vezes?

Yes, several expressions, with slightly different tones:

De vez em quando = from time to time
- De vez em quando a minha imaginação é tão forte…
Por vezes = sometimes / at times (a bit more formal)
- Por vezes, a minha imaginação é tão forte…
Ocasionalmente = occasionally (more formal)

Às vezes is the most common, neutral choice in everyday speech.