Questions & Answers about A área do jardim é grande.
In Portuguese, every noun has a grammatical gender (masculine or feminine), and the definite article must agree with it.
- área is a feminine noun → it takes the feminine article a.
- Because it’s specific, we use the definite article: a área = the area.
- At the start of the sentence, a is written with a capital letter: A área.
If the noun were masculine, for example jardim (garden), you would say o jardim (the garden), not a jardim.
The accent in área (á) shows:
- Where the stress falls: á-rea → the first syllable is stressed: Á-rea.
- How to pronounce the vowel: á is an open stressed a sound.
Without the accent, the natural stress in a 3‑syllable word ending in a vowel might fall on the second-to-last syllable (following general stress rules), but área is one of the cases where the accent marks an exception and forces stress on the first syllable.
do is a contraction of the preposition de (of, from) and the masculine definite article o (the):
- de + o = do
So do jardim literally means of the garden.
In European Portuguese, these contractions are mandatory in normal speech and writing. You do not usually say de o jardim; you must contract it to do jardim.
de jardim (without the article) would usually sound incomplete or more generic, like saying “of garden” in English.
Here, we’re talking about a specific garden, so Portuguese normally requires the definite article:
- de + o jardim → do jardim = of the garden
Omitting the article after de is possible in some fixed expressions or very generic/nonspecific uses, but in a normal, concrete sentence like this, do jardim is the natural form.
jardim is a masculine noun.
You can see this from:
- The article it takes: o jardim (the garden), not a jardim.
- The contraction: de + o jardim → do jardim, not da jardim.
There’s no 100% reliable rule from the ending -im alone; you mainly learn the gender with the noun (like vocabulary). But many nouns ending in -im (e.g. jardim, fim, capim) are masculine.
Portuguese has two verbs for to be: ser and estar.
- ser (é) is used for inherent, permanent, or characteristic qualities.
- estar (está) is used for temporary states or conditions.
In A área do jardim é grande, the size is seen as a defining characteristic of that area, not a temporary condition. So é (from ser) is the natural choice.
You might use está grande if you’re talking about a change or a temporary impression, e.g.:
- O jardim está grande – The garden is (has become) big / looks big now (compared to before).
In Portuguese, the default position for adjectives is after the noun:
- área grande – literally area big → big area.
So A área do jardim é grande follows the standard pattern: noun (área) + verb (é) + adjective (grande).
Some adjectives can go before the noun, often adding nuance or emphasis, but grande is most commonly placed after the noun in neutral statements. Before the noun, grande can sound more stylistic or may slightly shift nuance (e.g. um grande jardim can sound like a great/very big garden).
grande does not change with gender; it’s the same for masculine and feminine:
- uma área grande – a big area (feminine)
- um jardim grande – a big garden (masculine)
It only changes in the plural:
- singular: grande
- plural: grandes
Examples:
- As áreas do jardim são grandes. – The areas of the garden are big.
- Os jardins são grandes. – The gardens are big.
You can say O jardim é grande, but it’s not exactly the same meaning:
- O jardim é grande – The garden is big. You’re talking about the whole garden.
- A área do jardim é grande – The area of the garden is large/big. You’re focusing on the size of the garden’s area itself, more like the space the garden takes up is large.
In everyday conversation, O jardim é grande is more common unless you specifically want to emphasise or measure the area.
Approximate pronunciation (European Portuguese):
área → [ˈa.ɾjɐ]
- á: stressed a (like “a” in father but shorter)
- re: sounds like “rya” (the r is a single tap, like Spanish pero)
- final a is reduced/weak, like a very short uh.
do → [du] (close to English “doo”, short).
jardim → [ʒɐɾˈdĩ]
- j: like French je, or the “s” in measure.
- ar: roughly “ar”, with a single-tap r.
- di: “dee”, but the stress moves to the -dim syllable.
- final m makes the vowel nasal: -dim sounds like a nasal “deeng”, written as [dĩ].
Spoken fluently, you’ll often hear it as: [ˈa.ɾjɐ du ʒɐɾˈdĩ].
A área grande do jardim is grammatically correct, but it sounds slightly different:
A área do jardim é grande.
- Neutral statement about the size of that specific area.
- Typical noun + verb + adjective structure.
A área grande do jardim
- Sounds like you’re distinguishing this area from other possible areas in the garden (the big area vs. the small area).
- Used more like a descriptive phrase in a larger sentence, e.g.:
- A área grande do jardim tem uma piscina. – The big area of the garden has a pool.
So for a simple statement “The area of the garden is big”, …é grande at the end is the most natural form.
Yes, É grande a área do jardim is possible, but it sounds more emphatic or literary.
- A área do jardim é grande. – neutral, everyday word order.
- É grande a área do jardim. – more like: It is big, the area of the garden, highlighting grande.
This fronting of the adjective is used for emphasis, in more formal speech, writing, or stylistic effects. For normal conversation, stick with A área do jardim é grande.
Largely yes, but with some notes:
- área in Portuguese can mean:
- physical space: a área do jardim – the area of the garden
- mathematical area: a área do triângulo – the area of the triangle
- a field/sector: área da saúde – the health sector/field.
In A área do jardim é grande, it’s the physical space meaning, just like English “The area of the garden is large.”