Breakdown of As cerejas vermelhas são boas, mas as desta região são melhores.
ser
to be
de
of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)
mas
but
bom
good
este
this (este, esta, estes, estas)
vermelho
red
melhor
better / best
a região
the region
a cereja
the cherry
Questions & Answers about As cerejas vermelhas são boas, mas as desta região são melhores.
What does as mean in the phrase as desta região?
It acts as a demonstrative pronoun meaning 'the ones', replacing the feminine plural noun cerejas to avoid repetition. In Portuguese, we constantly use the definite articles (o, a, os, as) right before de or que to mean 'the one' or 'the ones'.
Could I say aquelas desta região instead of as desta região?
You could, and it translates to 'those from this region'. However, using as is much more common and sounds more natural when you just want to say 'the ones'. We usually save aquelas for when we want to emphasize physical distance, like 'those ones over there'.
Why is it desta instead of dessa or daquela?
The word desta is the mandatory contraction of the preposition de (from) and the pronoun esta (this). The speaker uses esta because the region they are referring to is geographically close to them, or they are currently in it. If the region was closer to the listener, they would use dessa.
Why is the final word melhores and not mais boas?
The adjective bom (good) and its feminine form boa have an irregular comparative form: melhor (better). Because it describes the plural noun cerejas, you must use the plural form melhores. Saying mais boas is incorrect, just like saying 'more good' in English.
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