Breakdown of Acho que o guerreiro é vulnerável a dano mágico.
ser
to be
a
to / at (direction)
achar
to reckon / to find
que
that (conjunction)
mágico
magical
o guerreiro
the warrior
vulnerável
vulnerable
o dano
the damage (physical or moral harm)
Questions & Answers about Acho que o guerreiro é vulnerável a dano mágico.
Why do we use the preposition a after vulnerável?
In Portuguese, many adjectives require a specific preposition to connect to the noun they refer to, a concept known as nominal regency. The adjective vulnerável requires the preposition a to introduce the thing one is vulnerable to.
Why is the preposition not contracted to ao dano mágico?
In this sentence, a is just the preposition on its own. We do not contract it with the masculine definite article o to make ao because dano mágico is being discussed in a general, uncountable sense. If we were referring to a specific, previously mentioned spell's damage, it would be vulnerável ao dano mágico.
Why does Acho que trigger the indicative é instead of the subjunctive?
Are there other adjectives that follow this exact same pattern with a?
Yes! Many adjectives denoting a physical or emotional susceptibility take the preposition a. Other common examples you will see include insensível a for insensitive to, resistente a for resistant to, and suscetível a for susceptible to.
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