Learn Portuguese (Portugal): O palácio real fica em Sintra.

O palácio real fica em Sintra.

The royal palace is in Sintra.

Breakdown of O palácio real fica em Sintra.

ficar

to be located (of places)

o palácio

the palace

real

real, actual (also: royal)

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Questions & Answers about O palácio real fica em Sintra.

Why use fica here instead of está or é for 'is'?

In Portuguese, ficar (which often means 'to stay') is the most natural verb to use for the physical location of permanent landmarks, buildings, and cities. While you might occasionally hear é or está for locations, ficar is the standard, idiomatic choice for 'is located'.

Why is it just em Sintra and not na Sintra?

Most cities and towns in Portugal—including Sintra, Lisbon, and Cascais—do not take a definite article. Because of this, the preposition em (in) doesn't merge with the feminine article a, so it remains simply em Sintra.

The word real means 'royal' here. Doesn't it also mean 'real' or 'actual'?

Yes, exactly! Real translates to both 'royal' and 'real/actual' depending entirely on the context. Next to palácio (palace), it means 'royal'. If you were talking about a true story, you would also use it: uma história real.