Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Ela dá o livro ao aluno. - She gives the book to the student.

In Portuguese, you almost always combine the word for "to" (a) with the word for "the" (o or a). Here, because aluno (student) is a masculine word, we need the masculine "the" (o). When you put a (to) and o (the) together, they merge into a single word: ao (to the).

How would this sentence change if the student was female?

You would change the masculine aluno to the feminine aluna. Because the noun is now feminine, the combined word for "to the" also changes from ao (a + o) to à (a + a). So the sentence becomes: Ela dá o livro à aluna.

What is the base form of the verb dá?

The base verb (the infinitive form) is dar (to give). It is a very common irregular verb, which means it does not strictly follow the normal pattern for verbs ending in "-ar". For "she gives" (ela dá), you drop the "r" and add an accent mark.

Does the accent mark on dá change how it sounds?