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É importante ser racional durante uma crise.

É importante ser racional durante uma crise.
It is important to be rational during a crisis.
From Lesson 303:Adjective suffixes (-vel, -al, -oso)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about É importante ser racional durante uma crise.

How does the suffix -al work to form the word racional?
The suffix -al turns nouns into adjectives meaning "relating to" or "having the quality of." Here, it relates to the noun razão (reason). Notice how the spelling changes: the root goes back to its older Latin form, so the z and ão from razão become c and ion in racional.
Why do we use the unconjugated infinitive ser here?
When you use impersonal expressions like é importante (it is important) or é necessário (it is necessary) to make a general statement that isn't about a specific person, you follow it directly with an infinitive verb. So, "it is important to be" translates simply to é importante ser.
Why is it ser racional instead of estar racional if a crisis is temporary?
Being rational is viewed as a core human trait or a fundamental characteristic of the mind, which triggers the permanent verb ser. Even though the crisis itself is temporary, the sentence is advising you to maintain that inherent, fundamental trait of reason throughout the event.
Is there a rule to know that crise is feminine?
Not a strict one! Nouns ending in -e can be either masculine or feminine in Portuguese, so their gender isn't obvious just by looking at them. It's always best to memorize these words with their articles, like a crise or uma crise, so you remember they are feminine.

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