Question 1

How exactly does cada vez menos translate to "less and less"?

Accepted Answer

In Portuguese, you don't repeat the word for "less" like in English. Instead, you use the phrase cada vez (literally "each time") followed by menos (less). So, cada vez menos means "each time less" or "less and less". The exact same structure applies to "more and more" with cada vez mais.

Question 2

Why is cada vez menos placed between quer and viver? Could it go at the end of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it can go at the end! It is perfectly natural to say A gente quer viver num ambiente urbano cada vez menos. Placing it between the conjugated verb (quer) and the infinitive verb (viver) just shifts the emphasis slightly, focusing right away on the decreasing desire rather than the location. Both options are very common.

Question 3

If the translation is "We want", why does the sentence use A gente quer instead of Nós queremos?

Accepted Answer

A gente is a very common, everyday way to say "we" in spoken Portuguese. Even though it means "we", it translates literally to "the people" and is treated as a singular noun grammatically. That is why it takes the third-person singular verb form (quer). You could absolutely use Nós queremos instead for a slightly more formal tone.

Question 4

Why do we use num instead of em um before ambiente urbano?

Accepted Answer

In European Portuguese, the preposition em (in/on/at) almost always merges with indefinite articles like um (a/an). So em plus um becomes num (in an). While you might see them kept separate as em um in Brazilian Portuguese, the contracted form num is the standard rule for both speaking and writing in Portugal.

A gente quer cada vez menos viver num ambiente urbano.

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