Breakdown of A música alta deixou-me surda.
alto
tall / high
a música
the music
deixar
to leave (behind) / to quit / to let (allow)
surdo
deaf
Questions & Answers about A música alta deixou-me surda.
Why is alta used for loud here instead of a word like forte?
In Portuguese, volume is usually described in terms of height. So, música alta means loud music and falar alto means to speak loudly. Forte (strong) can describe an intense, booming sound, but alto is the standard translation for loud in everyday contexts.
Could I use the verb ficar here instead of deixar?
You would have to change the structure of the sentence. Deixar is used when an external subject causes an object to be in a certain state (The music left me deaf). If you use ficar (to become or to end up), you become the subject of the sentence: Fiquei surda com a música alta (I went deaf from the loud music).
Why does surda end in an -a? Doesn't it have to agree with música?
Why is the pronoun attached to the end in deixou-me rather than coming before the verb?