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O país donde vem este grão exótico é quente.

O país donde vem este grão exótico é quente.
The country where this exotic bean comes from is hot.
From Lesson 399:The relative pronoun for origins (donde)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about O país donde vem este grão exótico é quente.

Why do we use donde here instead of just onde?
Donde is the contraction of the preposition de (from) and the relative pronoun onde (where). We use it because the verb vir (to come) requires the preposition de to express origin. Unlike English, which often leaves 'from' at the end of the sentence, Portuguese must put the preposition before the relative pronoun.
Why is the subject este grão exótico placed after the verb vem?
In Portuguese relative clauses, it is very common to invert the subject and verb, especially when the subject is long or heavy. You could technically say donde este grão exótico vem, but donde vem este grão exótico flows much more naturally to a native speaker.
Why do we use é instead of está for quente?
We use the verb ser (é) because being hot is described here as a permanent characteristic of the country's climate. If you used está quente, it would mean the country is only temporarily hot right now, like during a sudden heatwave.
The English translation says 'bean', but doesn't grão mean 'grain'?
Yes, grão translates directly to 'grain', but it is also the standard word for certain types of beans or seeds in Portuguese. For example, a coffee bean is a grão de café and a chickpea is a grão-de-bico.

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