Breakdown of A inflação tem vindo a aumentar cada vez mais.
ter
to have
a
to / at (direction)
mais
more
vir
to come
a vez
the time (occasion)
aumentar
to increase
cada
each
a inflação
the inflation
cada vez mais
more and more (cada vez menos = less and less)
Questions & Answers about A inflação tem vindo a aumentar cada vez mais.
Why use tem vindo a aumentar instead of the regular present perfect tem aumentado?
While tem aumentado also describes an action that started in the past and continues into the present, adding vindo a emphasizes the gradual, step-by-step progression of the action. It highlights that the inflation is a building, ongoing trend (has been increasing) rather than just a general fact about the recent past.
Could I use the present continuous here and just say está a aumentar?
You could, but the meaning shifts slightly. The phrase está a aumentar simply states what is happening right now (is increasing). The structure tem vindo a + infinitive is required to express the cumulative aspect of the lesson: a process that began in the past, has been building up over time, and leads right up to the present moment.
Why does the Portuguese sentence start with A when the English translation just says Inflation without an article?
In European Portuguese, general concepts and abstract nouns require a definite article. Even though English drops the article for general concepts, whenever you talk about inflation in a broad sense in Portuguese, you must use a inflação.
How does the phrase cada vez mais work at the end of the sentence?
This is a very common fixed expression. It literally translates to each time more, but it is the standard Portuguese way to say more and more or increasingly. It pairs perfectly with the tem vindo a structure to emphasize a growing, continuous trend.
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