Breakdown of Tenho um monte de trabalho esta semana.
o trabalho
the work / the job
este
this (este, esta, estes, estas)
a semana
the week
o monte
the hill (um monte de = a pile of)
Questions & Answers about Tenho um monte de trabalho esta semana.
"Um monte de" translates to "a pile of", but how informal is this phrase?
Um monte de is extremely common in everyday, colloquial Portuguese, much like saying "a bunch of" or "a ton of" in English. While it is perfect for casual conversations, you would want to use muito (a lot of) in formal or professional writing.
Could I use "essa semana" instead of "esta semana" here?
In Portugal, you should stick to esta semana when referring to the current week you are in. Essa semana refers to a week in the past or future that you were just discussing, similar to "that week" in English. Note that Brazilian Portuguese often uses essa for the current week, but European Portuguese keeps a strict distinction between the two.
Why is it "trabalho" and not "emprego" in this context?
Trabalho refers to the actual tasks, labor, or workload you have to do, which fits perfectly with having a "pile" of it. Emprego refers to a job or an employment position. You can have a lot of trabalho at your emprego, but you wouldn't say you have a pile of emprego.
Does "monte" literally mean "mountain"?
A true mountain is usually a montanha, while a monte typically translates to a hill, a mound, or a pile. In this figurative expression, it acts exactly like "pile" or "heap" to describe a large quantity of something.
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