Question 1

Where does the word do come from in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

The word do is a mandatory contraction of the preposition de (of) and the masculine singular definite article o (the). Together they mean "of the".

Question 2

How would I change this sentence to say "The exit of THIS building" using the demonstratives from this lesson?

Accepted Answer

To say "of this building", you would combine the preposition de (of) with the masculine demonstrative este (this) to form the contraction deste. The new sentence would be: A saída deste prédio é pequena.

Question 3

Why is the adjective pequena feminine when the noun right next to it, prédio, is masculine?

Accepted Answer

Adjectives always agree with the noun they actually describe. In this sentence, pequena (small) describes A saída (the exit), which is a feminine noun. Even though prédio (building) is closer in the sentence, it is the exit that is small, not the building.

Question 4

I know de can mean "from". Does do mean "from the" or "of the" here?

Accepted Answer

In this specific context, it translates best to "of the". Portuguese doesn't use an apostrophe-s ('s) to show belonging like English does. To say "the building's exit", you always have to phrase it as "the exit of the building" using de or its contractions.

A saída do prédio é pequena.

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