Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Aquele quadro é velho. - That painting over there is old.

Aquele quadro é velho.

That painting over there is old.

Breakdown of Aquele quadro é velho.

that over there (aquele, aquela, aqueles, aquelas)

o quadro

the painting

Questions & Answers about Aquele quadro é velho.

Why do we use aquele instead of esse for 'that'?

In Portuguese, there are three degrees of distance. Este means 'this' (near the speaker). Esse means 'that' (near the listener). Aquele means 'that over there' (far from both the speaker and the listener). Since we are talking about a painting 'over there', we must use aquele.

Aquele ends in an 'e'. Is it a masculine or feminine word?

Aquele is masculine, matching the masculine noun quadro. Unlike many masculine words that end in -o, this specific demonstrative ends in -e. If we were pointing at a feminine noun, like a house (casa), we would use the feminine form aquela.

Why do we use é and not está to say the painting is old?

In Portuguese, the verb ser (here used as é) describes permanent or inherent characteristics. The verb estar (like está) is used for temporary states. A painting being old is considered a permanent fact about it, so we use é.

Does the word quadro only mean 'painting'?

While it means 'painting' or a framed 'picture' here, quadro is also the standard word for a board in a classroom (like a chalkboard or whiteboard). You will often see it used in both contexts.