Breakdown of Tivemos a mesma ideia!
ter
to have
a ideia
the idea
o mesmo
the same (m) / a mesma / os mesmos / as mesmas
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Questions & Answers about Tivemos a mesma ideia!
Why is it a mesma and not o mesmo?
Why does mesma come before the noun ideia? Don't Portuguese adjectives usually go after?
Normally, descriptive adjectives come after the noun in Portuguese (like uma casa velha - an old house). However, when mesmo means "the same," it always comes before the noun, exactly as it does in English.
Does the meaning change if I put mesma after the noun?
Yes! If you place it after the noun, it usually means "itself" rather than "the same." For example, a mesma ideia means "the same idea," but a ideia mesma would mean "the idea itself."
What tense is the verb tivemos?
It is the simple past tense (pretérito perfeito) of the irregular verb ter (to have). It means "we had." You don't need to include the pronoun nós (we) because the -mos ending already makes it clear who did the action.