Breakdown of Esta praia é a maravilha mais deslumbrante que exista no país.
ser
to be
em
in / on / at
a praia
the beach
o país
the country
este
this (este, esta, estes, estas)
mais
more
que
who / which / that (relative)
existir
to exist
a maravilha
the wonder
deslumbrante
stunning
Questions & Answers about Esta praia é a maravilha mais deslumbrante que exista no país.
Why is exista in the subjunctive here instead of the indicative existe?
The phrase a maravilha mais deslumbrante is a superlative meaning the most stunning wonder. In Portuguese, when a relative clause starting with que follows a superlative, we often use the subjunctive to emphasize that this is a subjective opinion, a poetic exaggeration, or a reflection of the speaker's personal experience, rather than a mathematically proven fact.
Would it be wrong to say que existe no país using the indicative?
Not at all! Using the indicative existe is perfectly correct and actually more common in everyday speech. If you use existe, you are presenting the statement as an absolute, objective fact. By choosing the subjunctive exista, the speaker makes the claim slightly more subjective, emotional, and hyperbolic.
Why does the phrase mais deslumbrante come after the noun maravilha?
I know deslumbrante means stunning here, but what is the base verb it comes from?
It comes from the verb deslumbrar, which means to dazzle, to temporarily blind with bright light, or to fascinate. Therefore, a maravilha deslumbrante is a wonder that leaves you completely dazzled or breathless.
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