Breakdown of A desobediência civil não é um crime.
ser
to be
não
not / no
um
a / an / some (all forms)
o
him/it (m)
Questions & Answers about A desobediência civil não é um crime.
How does the prefix des- work in the word desobediência?
How is the letter s pronounced in the prefix of desobediência?
Why do we need the definite article A at the start of the sentence when the English translation just says "Civil disobedience"?
In Portuguese, when you make a general statement about an abstract concept as a whole, you must include the definite article. While English drops "the" for general abstract nouns, Portuguese requires the A before desobediência.
Why does the adjective civil come after the noun here? Could it be placed before?
It must come after the noun. Adjectives that classify a noun or establish a specific category (differentiating civil disobedience from, say, military disobedience) are placed strictly after the noun in Portuguese.