Breakdown of Não acho que o telemóvel seja muito inovador.
ser
to be
não
not / no
o telemóvel
the mobile phone
muito
much / very
Questions & Answers about Não acho que o telemóvel seja muito inovador.
Why is seja used here instead of é?
The phrase Não acho que (I do not think that) expresses doubt or a negative opinion, which triggers the subjunctive mood. So, we use seja (the present subjunctive of ser) instead of the indicative é. If the sentence were positive (Acho que...), you would use the indicative é because you are stating what you believe to be a fact.
Why do we use a form of ser (seja) instead of estar (esteja) for describing the phone?
We use ser because being innovative is seen as an inherent, permanent characteristic of the phone's design, rather than a temporary state or condition.
Is telemóvel the standard word for a mobile phone in all Portuguese-speaking countries?
In Portugal, telemóvel is the standard and most common word. However, if you speak to someone from Brazil or consume Brazilian media, you will almost exclusively hear the word celular instead.
This lesson is about connectors of opposition like no entanto. How could I use one with this sentence?