Breakdown of Eles estão a espalhar um boato absurdíssimo!
eles
they (m)
um
a / an / some (all forms)
estar
to be (temporary / location)
espalhar
to spread
Questions & Answers about Eles estão a espalhar um boato absurdíssimo!
How do we form absurdíssimo from absurdo?
To form this absolute superlative, we drop the final -o from the adjective absurdo (absurd) and add the suffix -íssimo. This changes the meaning to "very absurd" or "extremely absurd". Since it describes um boato (a masculine singular noun), it takes the masculine singular ending.
Why use estão a espalhar instead of just espalham?
The structure estar a followed by an infinitive verb (like espalhar, meaning to spread) is the present continuous tense in European Portuguese. It emphasizes that they "are spreading" the rumor right now, rather than just saying they "spread" rumors in general (espalham).
Why does absurdíssimo come after boato in the sentence?
In Portuguese, adjectives generally come after the noun they describe. Even though adding the -íssimo suffix makes the adjective much stronger, it still follows the standard rule of appearing right after the noun (boato).
What exactly is a boato?
Boato translates to "rumor" or "hearsay". Just like in English, it refers to unverified information or gossip being passed around by people.