Breakdown of A habitação tem vindo a encarecer.
ter
to have
a
to / at (direction)
vir
to come
a habitação
the housing
Questions & Answers about A habitação tem vindo a encarecer.
Why use tem vindo a encarecer instead of tem estado a encarecer?
The structure ter vindo a + infinitive emphasizes a gradual, cumulative change that started in the past and continues up to now. While tem estado a encarecer just means it has been getting more expensive lately, tem vindo a encarecer strongly highlights a steady, continuous trend over time.
Could I just use the regular present perfect tem encarecido to mean the exact same thing?
They are very close in meaning, but tem vindo a encarecer is much more emphatic about the progressive nature of the change. Tem encarecido means housing has gotten more expensive recently (perhaps in distinct, separate jumps), whereas tem vindo a encarecer paints a picture of a continuous, ongoing curve upward.
How is the verb encarecer formed, and is this a common pattern?
Yes! It comes from the adjective caro (expensive). Portuguese often surrounds an adjective with the prefix en- and the suffix -ecer to create a verb meaning to become that adjective. Other common examples you will see at this level are envelhecer (to grow old, from velho) and enlouquecer (to go crazy, from louco).
Would it be correct to use the gerund and say tem vindo encarecendo?