Breakdown of Que cada nova cidade seja uma descoberta inesquecível.
ser
to be
novo
new / young
um
a / an / some (all forms)
a cidade
the city
que
that (conjunction)
cada
each
inesquecível
unforgettable
a descoberta
the discovery
Questions & Answers about Que cada nova cidade seja uma descoberta inesquecível.
Why does this sentence start with Que instead of a verb?
Starting a sentence with Que followed by the present subjunctive is a common way to express a direct wish or hope. It translates to 'May...' or 'Let...' in English. Here, Que... seja means 'May... be'. You can think of it as a shortened version of saying 'I hope that...' (Espero que...).
Why is nova placed before cidade instead of after it?
Adjectives usually go after the noun in Portuguese, but novo and nova can change meaning based on placement. When placed before the noun, it often means 'new to me' or 'another' (like the next city you visit on a trip). Placed after the noun, as in cidade nova, it would strictly mean a newly built city.
Why use seja (from ser) and not esteja (from estar) here?
We use ser (which becomes seja in the present subjunctive) because we are defining the identity of the city in this context. It is followed by a noun phrase (uma descoberta inesquecível) stating what the city is. Linking a subject to a defining noun always requires ser, even if the visit to the city is temporary.
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