Breakdown of Este é o bairro onde nasci e cresci.
ser
to be
e
and
onde
where
este
this (este, esta, estes, estas)
Questions & Answers about Este é o bairro onde nasci e cresci.
Why do we use onde here, and could we say em que instead?
Onde means 'where' or 'in which', and it is used as a relative pronoun to refer back to a physical place, which in this case is o bairro. You can absolutely use em que (in which) instead of onde here, but onde is very common and natural for physical locations.
Why is it Este and not Isto at the beginning of the sentence?
Why does 'I was born' translate to just one word, nasci?
In English, 'to be born' uses the verb 'to be'. In Portuguese, it is a single, active verb: nascer. So, instead of using two words, you simply use the 'I' form of the verb in the simple past tense: nasci.
Why are nasci and cresci in the simple past (Pretérito Perfeito) rather than the continuous past (Pretérito Imperfeito)?
Even though growing up takes time, we use the simple past here because the speaker views being born and growing up as completed facts or events in their life. You were born and you finished growing up in that specific neighborhood.