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Como é que tu ainda toleras tanta desordem?

Como é que tu ainda toleras tanta desordem?
How do you still tolerate so much mess?
From Lesson 310:Still and no longer (ainda / já não)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about Como é que tu ainda toleras tanta desordem?

Where should I place ainda in a sentence like this? Can it go at the end?
In Portuguese, adverbs like ainda (still) usually go right before the verb they modify. So, ainda toleras is the standard word order. While putting it at the end might be understood, placing it right before the verb is the most natural way to express that a state is continuing.
Why do we use Como é que instead of just asking Como tu ainda toleras...?
Adding é que after a question word (like como, onde, or quando) is extremely common in European Portuguese. It literally means 'is it that', but it doesn't change the overall meaning of the sentence. It simply makes the question sound much more natural and fluid in everyday speech.
Why is it tanta instead of tanto?
The word for 'so much' must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. Because desordem (mess or disorder) is a feminine singular noun, you must use the feminine singular form tanta.
Is there a rule to help me remember that desordem is a feminine noun?
Yes! Many Portuguese nouns ending in -em (like a ordem or a nuvem) and almost all nouns ending in -gem (like a viagem or a mensagem) are feminine. There are a few exceptions like o homem (the man), but it is a very reliable pattern to help you guess the gender.

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