Question 1

The main sentence is in the past tense (era). Why is the tag in the present tense (não é)?

Accepted Answer

In English, the tag matches the verb's tense (wasn't it?, didn't you?). In Portuguese, não é? is a fixed expression used to ask for confirmation after a positive statement, no matter what tense the main sentence uses. You can think of it as meaning isn't that true? or isn't that right?.

Question 2

Why use era instead of foi for was?

Accepted Answer

Era is the imperfect past tense of the verb ser (to be). We use the imperfect here because we are describing a characteristic or an ongoing state in the past (how big the group was over time), rather than a single, completed event.

Question 3

Is turma the same as aula?

Accepted Answer

They both translate to class in English, but they mean different things. Turma refers to the specific group of students you study with. Aula refers to the actual lesson or the period of time you spend learning.

Question 4

Why is there an A at the very beginning of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

In European Portuguese, it is standard to put a definite article (o, a, os, or as) before a possessive word. Because turma is a feminine noun, we use A before nossa to say our.

A nossa turma era muito grande, não é?

Breakdown of A nossa turma era muito grande, não é?

Questions & Answers about A nossa turma era muito grande, não é?

Learn A nossa turma era muito grande, não é and more in Portuguese