Breakdown of Estas famílias luso-americanas são bilingues.
ser
to be
a família
the family
este
this (este, esta, estes, estas)
luso-americano
Luso-American
bilingue
bilingual
Questions & Answers about Estas famílias luso-americanas são bilingues.
Why is the first half of luso-americanas not feminine plural like the second half?
In Portuguese compound adjectives, only the final element changes to match the noun's gender and number. The first element stays in its default form, which is often a special prefix. Because famílias is feminine plural, only the second part becomes -americanas while luso- stays the same.
What exactly does luso- mean, and why don't we say português-americanas?
luso- is the standard prefix for "Portuguese" in compound adjectives, derived from Lusitania, the ancient Roman name for the region. Just like English uses "Anglo-" instead of "English-" for compounds, Portuguese uses specific roots for nationalities, so you will see luso- instead of português- as the first element.
Why is the word bilingues not spelled bilinguas to agree with the feminine noun famílias?
Adjectives that end in -e in their singular form, such as bilingue, are gender-neutral. They do not change between masculine and feminine. To make them plural to match famílias, you simply add an -s to get bilingues.
Is the u in bilingues silent?
No, the u here is pronounced, creating a "gw" sound. This is an exception to the general rule in Portuguese where the u in -gue- and -gui- combinations (like in guerra or guitarra) is usually silent.
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