Breakdown of A estrada está a ser arranjada.
ser
to be
estar
to be (temporary / location)
a estrada
the road
arranjar
to fix; to get hold of
Questions & Answers about A estrada está a ser arranjada.
Why does this sentence use two 'to be' verbs (está and ser) right next to each other?
This is how you form the continuous passive voice. Está a... gives us the continuous 'is currently happening' part, and ser arranjada gives us the passive 'being repaired' part. Just like in English ('is' + 'being'), Portuguese combines estar for the ongoing action and ser for the passive voice.
Could I say está sendo arranjada instead of está a ser arranjada?
You will hear that in Brazilian Portuguese, which uses the gerund (sendo). However, in European Portuguese, the standard way to express an ongoing action is estar a followed by the infinitive verb. Therefore, está a ser is the correct phrasing in Portugal.
Why does arranjada end in -a instead of the usual past participle ending -ado?
Because this is the passive voice. When a past participle is used with the verb ser, it acts like an adjective and must agree in gender and number with the subject. Since a estrada (the road) is a feminine singular noun, the masculine arranjado changes to the feminine arranjada.
I have seen arranjar used to mean 'to get' or 'to tidy'. How do I know it means 'repaired' here?
The verb arranjar is a great multi-purpose word! It can mean to fix or repair, to tidy up, or to obtain (like arranjar um emprego, to get a job). You just have to look at the context. When talking about a physical infrastructure like a road (estrada), 'fixed' or 'repaired' is the only meaning that makes sense.
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