Breakdown of Este é o marisco mais caro do mercado.
ser
to be
do
of the / from the (do, da, dos, das)
caro
expensive
este
this (este, esta, estes, estas)
mais
more
o
him/it (m)
o mercado
the market
o marisco
the seafood
Questions & Answers about Este é o marisco mais caro do mercado.
Why is it do mercado instead of no mercado for 'in the market'?
When you form a superlative in Portuguese, like 'the most expensive' (o mais caro), you use the preposition de to indicate the group or place, not em. Here, de contracts with the article o to become do. So, 'the most expensive in the market' literally translates to 'the most expensive of the market'.
Why use Este instead of Isto to say 'this'?
Could I change the word order and say o mais caro marisco?
It is much more natural to say o marisco mais caro. In Portuguese, adjectives generally come after the noun they describe. When forming a superlative, you keep that normal order: definite article + noun + mais + adjective.
Is marisco only a single piece of shellfish, or all seafood?
Although marisco is a singular word, it acts as a collective noun to mean 'seafood' or 'shellfish' as a general category, just like in English. You will rarely see it in the plural (mariscos) unless someone is referring to distinct varieties or species.
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