Log inSign up

O computador daquele aluno é novo.

O computador daquele aluno é novo.
That student's computer is new.
From Lesson 35:Contractions with demonstratives (neste, desse, daquele)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about O computador daquele aluno é novo.

Where does the word daquele come from?
It is a mandatory combination of the preposition de (of/from) and the demonstrative pronoun aquele (that). Whenever de is followed by aquele, they must squeeze together to form daquele.
Why does the Portuguese sentence translate to "the computer of that student" instead of "that student's computer"?
Portuguese doesn't have an equivalent to the English apostrophe-S ('s) to show ownership. To say "that student's computer", you always have to flip the order and say "the computer of that student", which is o computador de + aquele aluno.
If daquele means "of that", could I use desse instead?
It depends on where the student is! You use daquele (from aquele) when the student is far away from both you and the person you are talking to, like "that student over there". You would use desse (from esse) if the student was near the person you are talking to.
Does the word novo (new) change if the student is female?
No, because novo describes the computer (o computador), which is a masculine word. Adjectives always match the thing they are describing, not the owner. So even if it was "that female student's computer" (o computador daquela aluna), the word for new remains novo.

Learn O computador daquele aluno é novo and more in Portuguese

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Portuguese →