Breakdown of A inspiração é estranha: ora flui, ora desaparece.
ser
to be
a
to / at (direction)
desaparecer
to disappear
estranho
strange
ora
now / sometimes (e.g. ora... ora...)
a inspiração
the inspiration
fluir
to flow
Questions & Answers about A inspiração é estranha: ora flui, ora desaparece.
How does ora... ora... differ from saying às vezes... às vezes... in this sentence?
While às vezes just means 'sometimes,' the correlative conjunction ora... ora... emphasizes a rapid or unpredictable alternation between two states. It feels closer to 'one moment it flows, the next it disappears,' highlighting how fickle inspiration can be.
Why do we use é (from the verb ser) if the rest of the sentence is about how inspiration constantly changes?
Why is there an A before inspiração when the English translation has no article?
In Portuguese, abstract nouns discussed in a broad, general sense (like inspiration, love, or time) always require a definite article. Therefore, 'inspiration' in general translates to A inspiração.
What is the infinitive of flui, and how does this conjugation pattern work?
The infinitive is fluir (to flow). For most verbs ending in -uir, the third-person singular in the present tense is formed by simply dropping the -r, leaving us with flui. You will see this same useful pattern in verbs like incluir (inclui) and concluir (conclui).
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