Breakdown of Esse vestido fica-te bem.
o vestido
the dress
esse
that (+ noun)
ficar bem
to suit, to look good on
Questions & Answers about Esse vestido fica-te bem.
Why does the sentence use the verb ficar to mean 'suits'?
In Portuguese, the expression ficar bem is used to say that an item of clothing looks good on someone. Literally, you are saying the dress 'stays well' on you. If it looked bad, you would use the opposite and say fica-te mal.
Why use esse instead of aquele if they both translate to 'that'?
The demonstrative esse is used when the object is physically close to or associated with the person you are talking to. Since you are commenting on a dress the listener is wearing or holding, esse is the correct choice. If the dress were on a mannequin across the room, you would use aquele.
Why is the pronoun -te attached to the end of the verb as fica-te?
Could I say fica bem a ti instead of fica-te bem?
Yes, you could say fica bem a ti if you wanted to strongly emphasize that it suits YOU, perhaps in contrast to someone else. However, fica-te bem is the standard and most natural way to phrase this in everyday conversation.
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