Log inSign up

Aquilo que me ofende é a tua atitude.

Aquilo que me ofende é a tua atitude.
The thing that offends me is your attitude.
From Lesson 184:The thing that (o que, aquilo que)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about Aquilo que me ofende é a tua atitude.

Why use aquilo que instead of just o que here?
Both aquilo que and o que translate to "what" or "the thing that" in this context. Aquilo que is slightly more emphatic, literally meaning "that which". You could perfectly well say O que me ofende é a tua atitude, and it would mean the exact same thing!
Why does the pronoun me come before the verb ofende?
In European Portuguese, object pronouns usually come after the verb. However, the word que is a "magnet" word. It attracts the pronoun to step in front of the verb. So, instead of que ofende-me, it must be que me ofende.
Why do we need the article a before tua atitude?
In European Portuguese, you almost always put a definite article (o or a) before a possessive word like "my" or "your". Since atitude is a feminine noun, we use the feminine article a along with the feminine possessive tua (your).
Could I use está instead of é in this sentence?
No, you must use é (from the verb ser). When equating two things into a definition — in this case, "the thing that offends me" equals "your attitude" — you always use ser to link them.

Learn Aquilo que me ofende é a tua atitude 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 →