Log inSign up

A língua é difícil, mas não deves desistir.

A língua é difícil, mas não deves desistir.
The language is difficult, but you must not give up.
From Lesson 138:Starting and continuing (começar a, continuar a)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about A língua é difícil, mas não deves desistir.

Why is é (from ser) used here instead of está (from estar)?
We use ser for permanent or defining characteristics. The difficulty of a language is seen as an inherent quality of the language itself, rather than a temporary state, so we use é.
How does deves desistir compare to the começar a structures in this lesson?
Both are verb phrases where a conjugated verb is followed by an infinitive. But notice that the modal verb dever (must/should) connects directly to the infinitive desistir (to give up). It doesn't need a preposition in the middle, unlike começar a (to start to) or continuar a (to continue to).
Does the word língua also mean the body part 'tongue'?
Yes, exactly! Just like the English phrase 'mother tongue', the Portuguese word língua is used for both a spoken language and the physical tongue in your mouth.
Why does não come before the verb, when in English we say 'must not'?
In Portuguese, the negative word não almost always goes immediately before the conjugated verb it modifies. That is why it is não deves (literally 'not you must') rather than the English order where 'not' comes after the verb.

Learn A língua é difícil, mas não deves desistir and more in Portuguese

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Portuguese →