Breakdown of O sono não é um problema.
ser
to be
não
not / no
um
a / an / some (all forms)
o problema
the problem
o sono
the sleepiness / the sleep
Questions & Answers about O sono não é um problema.
Why is there an "O" before "sono"? In English, we just say "Sleepiness".
In Portuguese, when you talk about concepts, ideas, or things in a general sense, you usually need to include the definite article (o or a). So, we say o sono instead of just sono.
Does "sono" mean "sleep" or "sleepiness"?
It can mean both! Sono translates to "sleep" (the state of resting) and also "sleepiness" or "tiredness". You will often hear it in the phrase ter sono (to have sleepiness), which is how Portuguese speakers say "to be sleepy".
Why is it "um problema"? Doesn't the letter "a" at the end make it feminine?
Normally, words ending in "-a" are feminine, but problema is a famous exception. It comes from Greek, and many Portuguese words of Greek origin that end in "-ma" are actually masculine. That is why we use the masculine word for "a" (um) and say um problema instead of uma problema.
Why do we use "é" (from the verb "ser") instead of "está" (from the verb "estar")?
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