Learn Portuguese (Portugal): O desenvolvimento da cidade exige cada vez mais construção. - The development of the city requires more and more construction.

O desenvolvimento da cidade exige cada vez mais construção.

The development of the city requires more and more construction.

Breakdown of O desenvolvimento da cidade exige cada vez mais construção.

of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)

Questions & Answers about O desenvolvimento da cidade exige cada vez mais construção.

How does cada vez mais translate here, and does it change to match the noun?

It translates to "more and more". In this sentence, it modifies the noun construção (construction). The phrase cada vez mais is invariable, meaning it never changes its ending to match the gender or number of the noun it describes.

What is the infinitive of exige, and how is the x pronounced?

The infinitive is exigir (to demand, to require). The letter x here is pronounced like a "z". This is a common pronunciation rule in Portuguese when words begin with ex- followed by a vowel, just like in exemplo (example) or exame (exam).

Is there a rule for the gender of words like desenvolvimento?

Yes! The suffix -mento is the Portuguese equivalent of the English "-ment". It is used to turn verbs like desenvolver (to develop) into nouns. Nouns ending in -mento are always masculine, which is why it takes the masculine article o.

Why isn't there an article before construção? Shouldn't it be a construção?

In Portuguese, when you refer to an uncountable amount of something in a general sense, especially after quantity words like mais (more) or menos (less), you usually drop the definite article. Here, the city needs "construction" in general, rather than a specific building.