Breakdown of A hora de ponta é tão insuportável que eu costumo sair cedo.
eu
I
ser
to be
cedo
early
sair
to go out
Questions & Answers about A hora de ponta é tão insuportável que eu costumo sair cedo.
Why do we use tão instead of tanto in this sentence?
In Portuguese, we use tão (so) before adjectives like insuportável (unbearable) and before adverbs. If we wanted to say "so much traffic that...", we would use tanto because "traffic" is a noun (tanto trânsito que...).
Literally, what does hora de ponta mean?
It literally translates to "peak hour" (ponta can mean tip, end, or peak). This is the standard European Portuguese phrase for "rush hour".
Why use costumo sair rather than normalmente saio?
You could definitely say normalmente saio, but the verb costumar followed by an infinitive (here, sair) is the most natural way to express that you "usually do" or "are in the habit of doing" something in Portuguese.
I recognize the root of insuportável. Is it related to a false friend?
Yes, it comes from the verb suportar, which is a classic false friend. It means "to bear", "to stand", or "to tolerate" (not "to support" someone, which is apoiar). Therefore, insuportável translates perfectly to "unbearable" or "intolerable".