Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Nós somos as professoras de inglês.

Nós somos as professoras de inglês.

We are the English teachers (f).

Breakdown of Nós somos as professoras de inglês.

of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)

inglês

English

Questions & Answers about Nós somos as professoras de inglês.

Do I have to say Nós, or can I just start with Somos?

You can just start with Somos! In Portuguese, the verb ending usually tells us who the subject is. Somos can only mean "we are", so the word Nós is optional and often dropped in everyday speech unless you want to add emphasis.

How do we know the "we" in this sentence refers to a group of women?

We know from the words as professoras. The article as is feminine plural ("the"), and professoras is the feminine plural word for "teachers" (a male or mixed group would be os professores). Because the speakers are describing themselves as female teachers, we know the "we" refers to a group of women.

Why is there a de before inglês?

In English, we put the description first: "English teachers". In Portuguese, you usually describe a noun by using de ("of") plus the subject matter. So, you literally say "the teachers of English" (as professoras de inglês).

Why isn't inglês written with a capital letter?

Unlike in English, the names of languages, nationalities, and months are not capitalized in Portuguese. So, "English" is written with a lowercase letter: inglês.