Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): A irritação na garganta aumenta quando falo muito alto. - The irritation in my throat increases when I speak very loudly.

A irritação = The irritation (a specific, known irritation you have).
Saying just Irritação na garganta aumenta… would sound incomplete or title‑like, not like a normal sentence.

So you normally say A irritação na garganta… to talk about “the throat irritation” you’re experiencing in general.

Why is the article feminine: a irritação and not o irritação?

Every Portuguese noun has a grammatical gender. The word irritação ends in ‑ção, and almost all ‑ção words are feminine:

a irritação – the irritation
a informação – the information
a situação – the situation

So it must take the feminine article a, not o:

✅ a irritação
❌ o irritação (incorrect)

What exactly does na in na garganta mean?

Na is a contraction of em + a:

em = in / on / at
a = the (feminine singular)

So:

em + a garganta → na garganta = in the throat

This contraction is obligatory in normal speech and writing; you don’t usually keep them separate (em a garganta sounds wrong).

Why is it na garganta and not na minha garganta (“in my throat”)?

In Portuguese, when talking about body parts, you often use the instead of my/your/etc. if it’s already clear whose body part it is.

So:

A irritação na garganta aumenta…
Literally: The irritation in the throat increases…
Naturally understood as: The irritation in *my throat increases…*

You would use na minha garganta if you really need to emphasize whose throat, for example:

A irritação na [minha] garganta aumenta, mas na tua não.
The irritation in my throat increases, but not in yours.

Could I say A irritação aumenta na garganta instead? Does the word order change the meaning?

You can say:

A irritação aumenta na garganta.

It is grammatically correct. Both sentences mean essentially the same thing, but the focus shifts slightly:

A irritação na garganta aumenta…
First tells you which irritation (the one in the throat), then what happens.
A irritação aumenta na garganta.
Sounds a bit more like “the irritation increases in the throat (as opposed to somewhere else).”

The original version (A irritação na garganta aumenta…) sounds more natural and neutral in everyday speech.

Why is aumenta used here, and what form is it?

Aumenta is the 3rd person singular, present indicative of the verb aumentar (to increase).

Verb: aumentar
Subject: A irritação na garganta (singular)
Correct form: aumenta

So:

A irritação na garganta aumenta = The throat irritation increases / gets worse.

It’s the normal present tense used for general truths or repeated situations.

Why is it quando falo and not quando eu falo?

In Portuguese, subject pronouns (eu, tu, ele, nós, vocês, eles) are often dropped because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

falo can only be eu (I speak).

So:

Quando falo muito alto… = When I speak very loudly…
Quando eu falo muito alto… = same meaning, but eu adds emphasis on “I”.

Both are correct; the version without eu is more neutral and very common.

Why is it muito alto and not muito alta?

Here alto is functioning like an adverb (describing how you speak: loudly), not as an adjective describing a feminine noun.

In Portuguese:

When an adjective is used adverbially (to describe a verb), it usually stays in the masculine singular form:
- falar alto – to speak loudly
- falar baixo – to speak quietly
- cantar bonito – to sing beautifully

So:

✅ falo muito alto – I speak very loud(ly)
❌ falo muito alta – sounds like you are describing a feminine noun (e.g. a voz é muito alta – the voice is very loud/high).

What is the difference between falar alto, falar muito alto, and falar em voz alta?

All relate to speaking loudly, but with slightly different nuances:

falar alto – to speak loud(ly).
Neutral way to say you talk in a loud voice.
falar muito alto – to speak very loud(ly) / too loudly.
Stronger: volume is high, maybe excessively.
falar em voz alta – to speak out loud, aloud (not silently or in your head).
Focus is on not whispering or thinking silently, less on “too loud”.

In your sentence, falo muito alto suggests the problem is the high volume of your speaking.

Why is the present tense used in both parts: aumenta and falo, instead of future tense after quando?

In Portuguese, for general truths or repeated situations, you normally use the present tense in both clauses:

A irritação na garganta aumenta quando falo muito alto.
= The throat irritation increases when I speak very loudly (whenever that happens).

You only use future after quando if you are talking about a specific future occasion:

A irritação vai aumentar quando eu falar muito alto amanhã.
The irritation will increase when I speak very loudly tomorrow.

Your sentence is about a habitual pattern, so present + present is correct and natural.

What’s the difference between irritação na garganta and dor de garganta?

Both refer to discomfort in the throat, but they’re not exactly the same:

irritação na garganta
Literally: irritation in the throat.
Suggests scratchiness, tickling, dryness, inflammation – not necessarily strong pain.
dor de garganta
Literally: pain of throat
The usual expression for a sore throat (painful throat).

So you might say:

Tenho irritação na garganta quando falo muito alto.
I get irritation in my throat when I speak very loudly.
Tenho dor de garganta.
I have a sore throat. (more about pain than just irritation)

How would I make this sentence plural, if I want to talk about several irritations?

You need to pluralize both the article and the noun, and keep the verb in the plural too:

Singular: A irritação na garganta aumenta…
Plural: As irritações na garganta aumentam quando falo muito alto.

Changes:

a irritação → as irritações
aumenta (singular) → aumentam (plural)

Everything else stays the same.

How do I pronounce the trickier words (irritação, garganta, muito) in European Portuguese?

Approximate European Portuguese pronunciation (not IPA; just guidance):

irritação
- Stress on the last syllable: ir‑ri‑ta‑ÇÃO
- The rr is a throaty sound (like French r).
- ‑ção sounds like “sown” with a nasal vowel: sãw(n).
garganta
- gar‑GAN‑ta, stress on GAN.
- The g is hard (like g in go).
- The r is also the same throaty sound.
muito (in Portugal)
- Often sounds like “muintu” or “mũitu”.
- The oi is not like English “moy”; it’s closer to “ui”.
- Final o is short and fairly closed.

Put together naturally:
A irritação na garganta aumenta quando falo muito alto.
Spoken smoothly, many vowels get a bit reduced, especially unstressed ones.