O preço do café cresce todos os meses.

Breakdown of O preço do café cresce todos os meses.

o café
the coffee
de
of
o mês
the month
todo
every
o preço
the price
crescer
to rise

Questions & Answers about O preço do café cresce todos os meses.

Why is it do café and not just de café?

Do is the contraction of de + o.

  • de = of
  • o = the
  • do = of the

So o preço do café literally means the price of the coffee.

In English, we often just say the price of coffee without the, but Portuguese often uses the article here. That is very normal.

Why is there o before preço?

Portuguese usually uses the definite article more often than English.

So:

  • O preço do café = The price of coffee / the price of the coffee

Even when speaking generally, Portuguese often keeps the article where English might not.

Why is cresce singular and not plural?

Because the subject is o preço, which is singular.

The structure is:

  • O preço = subject
  • do café = tells us what price we are talking about
  • cresce = verb

So the verb agrees with preço, not with café.

That is why it is:

  • O preço ... cresce = singular

If the subject were plural, the verb would also be plural:

  • Os preços do café crescem todos os meses.
What tense is cresce, and why is it used here?

Cresce is the present indicative of crescer.

Here it expresses something habitual or regularly happening:

  • grows / increases every month
  • keeps increasing month after month

Portuguese often uses the simple present for general facts, habits, and repeated events, just like English can do in sentences such as Prices rise every month.

Does crescer really mean to grow here?

Literally, yes: crescer means to grow.

But with things like prices, numbers, or rates, it can mean to increase or to go up.

So in this sentence, cresce is best understood as:

  • increases
  • goes up

A learner should also know that with prices, Portuguese very often uses verbs like aumentar or subir too:

  • O preço do café aumenta todos os meses.
  • O preço do café sobe todos os meses.

These can sound more natural in many everyday contexts.

Is O preço do café cresce todos os meses natural in European Portuguese?

It is grammatical and understandable, but many speakers would more naturally say:

  • O preço do café aumenta todos os meses.
  • O preço do café sobe todos os meses.

Using cresce is not wrong, but for prices, aumenta or sobe is often more idiomatic.

So this is a good sentence for grammar practice, but in very natural speech, a Portuguese speaker might choose a different verb.

What does todos os meses mean literally, and why is it plural?

Literally, todos os meses means all the months.

But in natural English, we translate it as:

  • every month
  • each month

Portuguese commonly uses this pattern:

  • todos os dias = every day
  • todas as semanas = every week
  • todos os meses = every month
  • todos os anos = every year

So even though English uses singular in every month, Portuguese uses a plural form here.

Why is it todos os meses and not just cada mês?

Both are possible, but they are used a little differently.

  • todos os meses = every month, month after month
  • cada mês = each month

In many everyday sentences, todos os meses sounds very natural and common.

For example:

  • Pago a renda todos os meses. = I pay rent every month.

You could also say cada mês, but todos os meses is often the more usual choice in ordinary speech.

Can café mean both coffee and café?

Yes. Café can mean:

  • coffee as a drink
  • a café as a place

In this sentence, o preço do café will normally be understood as the price of coffee, not the price of the café as a business.

Context usually makes the meaning clear.

How do I know where the stress goes in preço, café, and cresce?

The stress is:

  • preço → stress on pre
  • café → stress on
  • cresce → stress on cres

The accent mark in café tells you the stressed syllable.

Also:

  • ç in preço makes an s sound, so preço sounds roughly like PRE-su in European Portuguese, though the final vowel is weaker than in English.
  • cresce has a ss sound in the middle.
Could I say está a crescer instead of cresce?

You could, but it changes the nuance.

In European Portuguese:

  • cresce = grows / increases, as a general or repeated fact
  • está a crescer = is growing, is in the process of growing right now

Because the sentence includes todos os meses, the simple present cresce is the best fit for a repeated pattern.

So:

  • O preço do café cresce todos os meses. = good for a regular trend

Whereas está a crescer would focus more on an ongoing process at this moment.

Can the word order change?

Yes. Portuguese allows some flexibility.

For example, you could say:

  • O preço do café cresce todos os meses.
  • Todos os meses, o preço do café cresce.

Both are correct. The second version puts more emphasis on every month.

The original order is completely natural and neutral.

Why isn’t it Os preços do café?

Because the sentence is talking about the price as one general thing, not prices in multiple categories.

  • O preço do café = the price of coffee, in general
  • Os preços do café = the prices of coffee, possibly different prices, brands, shops, or types

So the singular is the normal choice if you mean the general price level of coffee.

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