Questions & Answers about As casas velhas são caras.
Why is the word for old (velhas) placed after the word for houses (casas)?
In English, we say "old houses," but in Portuguese, descriptive adjectives usually come after the noun they describe. So, you literally say "the houses old" (as casas velhas).
Why do velhas and caras both end in -as?
Adjectives in Portuguese must match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun they describe. Because casa is a feminine noun, and we are talking about more than one (casas), the base adjectives velho (old) and caro (expensive) change to their feminine plural forms: velhas and caras.
Does the adjective caras still have to match casas even though it is separated by the verb?
Why do we use são instead of estão for "are" in this sentence?