O aluno tem dois cadernos e quatro livros grandes.

Questions & Answers about O aluno tem dois cadernos e quatro livros grandes.

Why is it dois cadernos and not duas cadernos?
In Portuguese, the numbers one (um / uma) and two (dois / duas) change to match the gender of the noun they are counting. Since caderno (notebook) is a masculine word, we use the masculine form dois.
Does the number quatro also change its ending depending on the word it describes?
No! Unlike the numbers one and two, the numbers from three to ten have only one form. Whether you are counting masculine livros (books) or a feminine noun, it will always be quatro.
Why is grandes placed after livros?
In Portuguese, describing words (adjectives) usually come after the noun they describe. So, instead of English word order, you say livros grandes (literally books big). Notice that grande also gets an -s added to the end to match the plural livros.
What verb does tem come from?
Tem means has and comes from the irregular verb ter (to have). It is the form used for he, she, it, or you (formal). Here, it matches the singular noun o aluno (the student).

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