Log inSign up

Ele não veio, o que é uma pena.

Ele não veio, o que é uma pena.
He didn't come, which is a pity.
From Lesson 290:Vírgulas que explicam (relativas explicativas)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of Ele não veio, o que é uma pena.

ser
to be
vir
to come
a pena
the pity

Questions & Answers about Ele não veio, o que é uma pena.

Why do we use o que here instead of just que for "which"?
When "which" refers back to an entire situation or a whole previous clause (the fact that he didn't come), you must use o que. You only use just que when referring back to a specific noun.
I always mix up veio and viu. Which verb is this?
Veio is the past tense (pretérito perfeito) for "he/she/it" of the verb vir (to come). It is very commonly confused with viu, which is the past tense of ver (to see).
I thought pena meant "feather". Does it mean something else here?
Yes, pena can mean "feather" or "penalty", but it is also used to express pity or sorrow. The phrase é uma pena is a very common set expression that translates perfectly to "it's a pity" or "it's a shame".
Do I need to use the subjunctive when talking about "a pity"?
Not in this exact structure. Because you are just adding a descriptive comment about the situation ("which is a pity"), the verb é stays in the normal indicative mood. However, if you phrased it as "It's a pity that he didn't come," you would trigger the subjunctive: É uma pena que ele não tenha vindo.

Learn Ele não veio, o que é uma pena and more in Portuguese

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Portuguese →