Breakdown of O creme novo é ainda mais caro, mas hidrata muito melhor.
ser
to be
novo
new / young
muito
much / very
mas
but
caro
expensive
mais
more
ainda
still / yet / even (with comparatives)
melhor
better / best
o creme
the cream (lotion, cosmetic)
hidratar
to hydrate
Questions & Answers about O creme novo é ainda mais caro, mas hidrata muito melhor.
Why do we use ainda mais caro here instead of muito mais caro?
Both are grammatically correct ways to intensify a comparative, but they carry a slight difference in nuance. Muito mais caro means 'much more expensive', while ainda mais caro means 'even more expensive'. Using ainda implies that the previous cream was already expensive to begin with, and this new one takes it a step further.
Why is it muito melhor and not muito mais melhor?
Melhor is the irregular comparative form of bom (good) or bem (well), meaning it already translates to 'better' all by itself. Saying mais melhor is a grammatical mistake in Portuguese, just like saying 'more better' is in English. To intensify the comparison to 'much better', you simply put the intensifier muito directly in front of the comparative word.
Would the meaning change if the sentence started with O novo creme instead of O creme novo?
Yes, slightly! Placing novo after the noun (creme novo) usually means it is brand new in existence, like a newly invented formula. Placing it before the noun (novo creme) suggests it is simply newly acquired by the speaker or a replacement for an old one, even if the product itself has been on the market for years. Either could work here depending on the exact context.
Why is there no Portuguese word for 'it' before the verb hidrata?
In Portuguese, subject pronouns like ele (which can mean 'he' or 'it') are frequently dropped when it is obvious what is doing the action. Since O creme novo is established as the subject in the first half of the sentence, it naturally carries over as the subject of hidrata after the conjunction mas.
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