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Os Açores são nove ilhas portuguesas.

Os Açores são nove ilhas portuguesas.
The Azores are nine Portuguese islands.
From Lesson 476:Terra e história (a ilha, o povo)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of Os Açores são nove ilhas portuguesas.

português
Portuguese
nove
nine
a ilha
the island

Questions & Answers about Os Açores são nove ilhas portuguesas.

Why is portuguesas written with a lowercase letter?
Unlike in English, nationalities and adjectives of origin are not capitalized in Portuguese. You write portuguesas with a lowercase letter unless it is the very first word of a sentence.
Why do we use são (from the verb ser) here instead of ficam (from the verb ficar)?
While ficar is used to express the geographical location of a place (such as stating where the Azores are on a map), this sentence defines what the Azores actually are. When defining the fundamental identity or nature of something, you must use ser.
Do I always have to use the definite article Os with Açores?
Yes, the archipelago of Açores is a region that always takes the plural masculine definite article. If you were to say "I'm going to the Azores," you would combine the preposition a with os to make Vou aos Açores.
Why doesn't the number nove change to match the feminine plural noun ilhas?
In Portuguese, the only numbers that change to agree with a noun's gender are one (um/uma), two (dois/duas), and the hundreds starting from 200 (duzentos/duzentas, etc.). All other numbers up to 99, including nove, have only one form for both masculine and feminine nouns.

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