Breakdown of A realidade virtual estava a criar um mundo envolvente.
um
a / an / some (all forms)
estar
to be (temporary / location)
a
to / at (direction)
criar
to create
Questions & Answers about A realidade virtual estava a criar um mundo envolvente.
How does the suffix '-nte' function in the word envolvente?
The suffix -nte turns a verb into an active adjective, much like adding '-ing' in English. Here, it is attached to the root of the verb envolver (to surround, to involve). Therefore, um mundo envolvente describes a world that 'involves' or 'surrounds' you, which we naturally translate as an 'immersive' world.
Would envolvente change its ending if it described a feminine noun, like uma experiência?
No, adjectives ending in -nte are uniform, meaning they have the exact same form for both masculine and feminine nouns. You would say uma experiência envolvente just as you say um mundo envolvente. You only need to add an -s to the end if the noun is plural, such as mundos envolventes.
Why does standard European Portuguese use estava a criar instead of the gerund estava criando for 'was creating'?
Standard European Portuguese almost exclusively uses the verb estar followed by the preposition a and the infinitive to express continuous or ongoing actions. While the gerund (criando) is standard in Brazilian Portuguese and heard in a few specific regional accents in Portugal, at the B2 level you should rely on the estar a + infinitive structure to sound natural in Portugal.
Can envolvente be used to describe things other than virtual reality?