A manifestação pacífica termina ao fim da tarde.

The peaceful demonstration ends in the late afternoon.

Breakdown of A manifestação pacífica termina ao fim da tarde.

• de: of
• a tarde: the afternoon
• terminar: to end
• o fim: the end
• ao: at
• pacífico: peaceful
• a manifestação: the protest

Questions & Answers about A manifestação pacífica termina ao fim da tarde.

What does manifestação mean here, and is it the same as English manifestation?

In this sentence, manifestação means demonstration / protest (a public gathering where people show support or opposition to something).

In English, manifestation usually does not mean a street protest; it more often means sign, display, appearance of something. So:

• Portuguese manifestação = English demonstration / protest
• English manifestation = Portuguese manifestação in some abstract senses, but not in this political/protest sense.

So you should usually translate manifestação (in a political context) as demonstration or protest, not as manifestation.

What is the function of pacífica, and why does it come after manifestação?

Pacífica is an adjective meaning peaceful, describing manifestação.

• A manifestação pacífica = the peaceful demonstration / protest

In Portuguese, adjectives usually come after the noun:

• manifestação pacífica (literally: demonstration peaceful)
• casa grande = big house
• carro vermelho = red car

So the order manifestação pacífica is the normal pattern: noun + adjective.

Also, pacífica agrees with manifestação in:

• gender: manifestação is feminine → pacífica is feminine (-a)
• number: manifestação is singular → pacífica is singular

Why is the article A used? Could it also be Uma manifestação pacífica?

A is the definite article, feminine singular = the:

• A manifestação pacífica = The peaceful demonstration

This suggests a specific demonstration that speaker and listener know about (for example, one that has been mentioned already or is in the news).

You could say:

• Uma manifestação pacífica termina ao fim da tarde.
  = A/One peaceful demonstration ends in the late afternoon.

Using uma (indefinite article) makes it more general or non-specific: you are talking about some peaceful demonstration, not one in particular.

Why is the verb termina in the present tense if we might be talking about the future?

Portuguese uses the present tense for:

1. Regular present actions

   • A manifestação pacífica termina ao fim da tarde.
     = It ends (in general) in the late afternoon.

2. Scheduled future events, similar to English:

   • In English we often say: The train leaves at 6. (present for future)
   • In Portuguese: O comboio parte às seis.

So termina can be:

• present: the peaceful demonstration ends (as a general fact)
• or near-future: the peaceful demonstration ends this afternoon, if the context is today’s protest.

If you wanted explicit future, you could say:

• A manifestação pacífica vai terminar ao fim da tarde. (is going to end)
• A manifestação pacífica terminará ao fim da tarde. (will end – more formal).

What is the difference between terminar and acabar?

Both can mean to end / to finish, and often they are interchangeable:

• A manifestação pacífica termina ao fim da tarde.
• A manifestação pacífica acaba ao fim da tarde.

Both are correct.

Nuances (very subtle, often ignored in conversation):

• terminar is slightly more formal/neutral, often used in news, official contexts, written language.
• acabar is very common in everyday speech, slightly more informal or colloquial in feel.

In this sentence, termina sounds like something you could hear in the news or read in a report, but using acaba would also be perfectly natural.

What exactly does ao fim da tarde mean? Is it just in the afternoon?

Ao fim da tarde literally means at the end of the afternoon.

It usually refers to the later part of the afternoon, close to evening. Roughly:

• not the whole afternoon
• more like late afternoon / toward the end of the afternoon

Some approximate English equivalents:

• in the late afternoon
• towards the end of the afternoon
• by late afternoon

So the sentence means that the protest ends towards the end of the afternoon, not just any time during the afternoon.

What is ao in ao fim da tarde? How is it different from no fim da tarde?

Ao is a contraction:

• a + o → ao

So ao fim literally = to the end / at the end.

Ao fim da tarde and no fim da tarde (from em + o) are very close in meaning, and in practice both can be used:

• ao fim da tarde → more like at the end of the afternoon, with a slight sense of by that time.
• no fim da tarde → in/at the end of the afternoon, focusing more on the time within that part of the day.

In day-to-day speech, though, the difference is very small, and both are common. You will see ao fim da tarde quite often in European Portuguese.

Why is it da tarde and not just de tarde?

There are two related but different expressions:

1. da tarde = de + a tarde (of the afternoon / in the afternoon)

   • ao fim da tarde = at the end of the afternoon

2. de tarde = in the afternoon (a more general time phrase)

   • A manifestação pacífica termina de tarde.
     = The peaceful demonstration ends in the afternoon. (no focus on “end”)

So:

• da tarde in this phrase is part of ao fim da tarde = at the end of the afternoon.
• de tarde is a looser time expression meaning in the afternoon generally, not the end.

Can I move pacífica or the time expression and still sound natural?

Some movements are possible, but some will sound odd.

Natural variations:

• A manifestação pacífica termina ao fim da tarde. (original)
• A manifestação termina ao fim da tarde, pacífica. – Possible in some very specific, stylised contexts, but strange in normal speech; looks like you’re adding pacífica as an afterthought.
• Ao fim da tarde, a manifestação pacífica termina. – More formal/literary, possible in writing or for emphasis.

What you cannot do in normal Portuguese:

• A pacífica manifestação termina ao fim da tarde. → grammatically correct, but changes nuance.
  • Adjectives before the noun often add emphasis / subjectivity:
  • a pacífica manifestação can sound like that peaceful demonstration (as opposed to others, or surprisingly peaceful).
• A manifestação termina pacífica ao fim da tarde. → sounds wrong; pacífica must stay attached to the noun it describes.

The most neutral, natural order here is the original:
A manifestação pacífica termina ao fim da tarde.

How would I say “The peaceful demonstration ended in the late afternoon” (past tense)?

You can put terminar in the pretérito perfeito (simple past):

• A manifestação pacífica terminou ao fim da tarde.
  = The peaceful demonstration ended in the late afternoon.

If you prefer acabar:

• A manifestação pacífica acabou ao fim da tarde.

Both are correct and common. The choice is mostly style/feel:

• terminou – a bit more neutral/formal
• acabou – very common in everyday speech

How do you pronounce manifestação pacífica termina ao fim da tarde in European Portuguese?

Approximate European Portuguese pronunciation (with stressed syllables in bold):

• manifestação → ma-ni-fes-ta-SÃO
  
  • final -ção sounds like são (nasal “ão”).
• pacífica → pa-SI-fi-ca
  
  • stress on SI.
• termina → ter-MI-na
• ao → like English “ow” in cow, but shorter.
• fim → nasal fim (like feeng, but shorter).
• da → da (short, like duh).
• tarde → TAR-d(ə)
  
  • r is the guttural Portuguese r,
  • final -de often sounds like a very soft -d or almost like -d(ə).

Very rough English-like rendering:
ma-ni-fesh-tah-SÃO pa-SI-fi-ka ter-MI-na ow fĩ da TAR-d(ə).