Breakdown of Esta carruagem tem menos de cinquenta passageiros.
de
of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)
ter
to have
cinquenta
fifty
este
this (este, esta, estes, estas)
menos
less
o passageiro
the passenger
a carruagem
the carriage
Questions & Answers about Esta carruagem tem menos de cinquenta passageiros.
Why do we use menos de here instead of menos do que?
English uses 'fewer' for countable nouns like passengers, and 'less' for uncountable things. Does Portuguese make this distinction?
No, Portuguese simply uses menos for both 'fewer' and 'less'. Whether you are counting countable items like passageiros or measuring uncountable things like water, it is always menos. Remember that menos is invariable, meaning it never changes to agree with the noun (the word 'menas' does not exist).
Does carruagem refer to a train carriage or a horse-drawn carriage?
It can mean either, but in modern everyday Portuguese, carruagem is most commonly used for a train car or a carriage on the subway. If you are talking about a traditional horse-drawn carriage, the same word applies, but context usually makes the meaning obvious.
Why is it Esta carruagem and not Essa carruagem?
Esta translates to 'this' and indicates that the carriage is physically close to the speaker (perhaps they are standing inside it). If the carriage were near the listener instead, you would use essa (that), and if it were far from both of them, you would use aquela (that one over there).
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