Breakdown of Vira à direita no semáforo.
a direita
the right (side)
virar
to turn
o semáforo
the traffic light
Questions & Answers about Vira à direita no semáforo.
Why is the command vira and not vire?
Vira is the informal command for tu (you). In Portuguese, affirmative tu commands look exactly like the normal 'he/she/it' present tense form. If you were giving directions to someone you do not know well (using você), you would use the formal command vire.
Why does à have a backwards accent mark in à direita?
That accent (called a grave accent) shows that two words have merged: the preposition a (to) and the feminine article a (the). Directions like right and left are feminine in Portuguese, so 'to the right' becomes a + a = à.
Why do we use no for 'at the' traffic light instead of ao?
In English we say 'at', but Portuguese often uses the preposition em (in/on/at) to talk about a fixed location where an action happens. When you combine em with the masculine article o for semáforo, you get no. Using ao (to the) would sound like the traffic light is your final destination, rather than the spot where you make the turn.
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