Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Preferes viagens de comboio?

Preferes viagens de comboio?

Do you prefer train trips?

Breakdown of Preferes viagens de comboio?

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

Questions & Answers about Preferes viagens de comboio?

How do you form the plural word viagens from its singular?

The singular word for "trip" is viagem. When a Portuguese noun ends in the letter -m, you make it plural by dropping the -m and adding -ns. So, viagem becomes viagens.

Why do we need the word de in viagens de comboio?

In English, you can put two nouns together to describe something, like "train trips". In Portuguese, you can't stack nouns this way. Instead, you have to link them with de (of), literally saying "trips of train".

Why is comboio singular if viagens is plural?

The phrase de comboio describes the method of transportation. Even though you are taking multiple trips (viagens), the mode of travel (by train) acts as a general category, so comboio stays singular.

Where is the word for "you" in this sentence?

It is built right into the verb! Preferes is the tu (informal "you") form of the verb preferir (to prefer). Because the verb ending -es tells us exactly who is doing the preferring, the pronoun tu is usually dropped in Portuguese.