Question 1

How do you say 'as strong as' in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Portuguese uses the structure tão + adjective + como. So, tão forte como translates literally to 'so strong as', which is the standard way to express 'as strong as' in Portuguese.

Question 2

I thought como meant 'I eat' or 'how'. Why is it used here?

Accepted Answer

Como is a very common word with multiple meanings. It can be the 'I' form of the verb comer (to eat) or the question word 'how'. In comparisons like this one, it means 'as' or 'like', completing the tão... como pair.

Question 3

In English, we often just say 'Lions are as strong as horses'. Why does this sentence use O leão and o cavalo?

Accepted Answer

In English, we often drop the word 'the' when making general statements about an entire species. In Portuguese, however, you almost always need the definite article (o, a, os, or as) before nouns when talking about them in a general sense.

Question 4

Would the adjective forte change if we were comparing a feminine animal?

Accepted Answer

No, it stays exactly the same. In Portuguese, adjectives that end in -e (like forte, grande, or inteligente) are typically gender-neutral. You would use the exact same word for a feminine animal, like a pantera (the panther).

O leão é tão forte como o cavalo.

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