Breakdown of Como o serviço é péssimo, este é o restaurante mais sobrevalorizado que haja.
ser
to be
haver
to be (there is / there are)
o restaurante
the restaurant
este
this (este, esta, estes, estas)
mais
more
o serviço
the service
péssimo
awful
que
who / which / that (relative)
como
since / as (causal)
sobrevalorizado
overrated
Questions & Answers about Como o serviço é péssimo, este é o restaurante mais sobrevalorizado que haja.
Why is haja in the subjunctive here instead of the indicative há?
This sentence uses a relative superlative expression (o restaurante mais sobrevalorizado). In Portuguese, when a relative clause starting with que follows a superlative, we use the subjunctive to show that the statement is a subjective opinion or an emotional exaggeration, rather than a proven scientific fact.
Would it be grammatically wrong to use the indicative há in this sentence?
No, it wouldn't be wrong. If you said que há, you would be stating it as an absolute, objective fact. However, using the subjunctive que haja frames it as a strong personal opinion, which sounds much more natural for subjective complaints like rating a restaurant.
Can I start the sentence with Porque instead of Como to mean 'Since'?
No, you generally cannot start a sentence with porque to state a cause. When the cause comes before the main clause, you must use como (or alternatives like já que or visto que). You would only use porque if you flipped the sentence order: Este é o restaurante mais sobrevalorizado que haja, porque o serviço é péssimo.
Does péssimo need a modifier like muito to mean 'really awful'?
Péssimo is an irregular absolute superlative that already means 'extremely bad' or 'awful' all on its own. Because the intensity is already built into the word, you do not use modifiers like muito with it.
Learn Como o serviço é péssimo, este é o restaurante mais sobrevalorizado que haja 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