Learn Portuguese (Portugal): A terceira viagem foi maravilhosa.

A terceira viagem foi maravilhosa.

The third trip was wonderful.

Breakdown of A terceira viagem foi maravilhosa.

Questions & Answers about A terceira viagem foi maravilhosa.

Why is the word for third spelled as terceira here instead of terceiro?

Ordinal numbers act like adjectives, so they must match the gender of the noun they describe. Since viagem (trip) is a feminine noun, the base word terceiro changes its ending to match, becoming terceira.

How do I know viagem is a feminine noun if it does not end in -a?

Nouns ending in -gem are almost always feminine in Portuguese. Other common examples are mensagem (message) and paragem (stop). Because it is feminine, all the related words in this sentence—a, terceira, and maravilhosa—must also take their feminine forms.

Does the ordinal number always go before the noun like in terceira viagem?

Yes, ordinal numbers from 1st to 10th almost always come right before the noun they describe, exactly as they do in English.

Why do we use foi here instead of esteve for the word was?

foi is the past tense of ser, while esteve is the past tense of estar. In Portuguese, when you give your opinion on how an event went—like a trip, a party, or a concert—you use the verb ser.