Word
Ela fala devagar.
Meaning
She speaks slowly.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
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Questions & Answers about Ela fala devagar.
Why does the verb change to fala instead of staying as falar?
Because it needs to match the subject Ela (She). In the present tense, regular verbs that end in "-ar" drop the "-ar" and add "-a" for "he", "she", and "you" (formal). So, falar (to speak) becomes fala.
I learned that Portuguese adverbs usually end in "-mente". Why is "slowly" translated as devagar?
You are right that many adverbs end in "-mente", and you could actually say lentamente (slowly). However, devagar is a very common word that just naturally means "slowly" without needing a special ending. In spoken, everyday Portuguese, people use devagar much more often than lentamente.