Breakdown of Qual é o rio mais longo do mundo?
ser
to be
de
of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)
qual
which / what (which one)
mais
more
o rio
the river
o mundo
the world
longo
long
Questions & Answers about Qual é o rio mais longo do mundo?
How do you form "the longest" in Portuguese?
In English, we add "-est" to make "longest". In Portuguese, you use the relative superlative structure: o or a + noun + mais + adjective. So, "the longest river" translates to o rio mais longo (literally, "the river most long").
Why does the sentence use do mundo instead of a word for "in"?
When using the relative superlative (like "the longest" or "the biggest"), Portuguese uses the preposition de (of) to introduce the group or place. Since mundo is masculine, de combines with the article o to become do. You literally say "the longest river of the world".
Why use Qual here instead of O que?
Can I change the word order to o mais longo rio?
While you might see it in literature, it is much more natural to say o rio mais longo in everyday speech. In Portuguese, the adjective usually follows the noun, and this stays true in the superlative form: article + noun + mais + adjective.
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