Question 1

Wait, doesn't foi mean "went"? Why does it mean "was" here?

Accepted Answer

The verbs ser (to be) and ir (to go) share the exact same forms in the simple past tense. So, foi can mean either "he/she/it went" or "he/she/it was". You have to tell which one it is from the context. Since "the dinner went incredible" doesn't quite make sense here, we know it means "was" (from the verb ser).

Question 2

I thought jantar was a verb meaning "to have dinner". Why is it used as a noun here?

Accepted Answer

In Portuguese, the words for meals often act as both verbs and nouns. By putting the masculine article o in front of it, o jantar becomes the noun "the dinner". You will see this often with lunch as well: o almoço (the lunch) and almoçar (to have lunch).

Question 3

Why do we say o jantar de ontem instead of a more direct translation of "yesterday's dinner"?

Accepted Answer

Portuguese doesn't have an equivalent to the English apostrophe 's' to show belonging or connection. Instead, you always use the preposition de (of/from) to link the words. So, "yesterday's dinner" must be phrased as "the dinner of yesterday" (o jantar de ontem).

Question 4

Does the adjective incrível change depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine?

Accepted Answer

No! Adjectives that end in -l (like incrível, fácil, or difícil) look exactly the same for both masculine and feminine nouns. They only change if the noun is plural, in which case the -el ending turns into -eis (for example, os jantares incríveis).

O jantar de ontem foi incrível.

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