Question 1

Why does this sentence use dela instead of seu for "her"?

Accepted Answer

In Portuguese, the possessive word seu can mean "his", "her", "your" (formal), or "their". Because this can be confusing, it is very common to use dela (which literally means "of her") to be completely clear that you specifically mean "her".

Question 2

Why does dela come after the noun instead of before it?

Accepted Answer

While possessives like meu (my) or seu (your/his/her) usually come before the noun, dela is actually a contraction of de (of) and ela (her). So, O pescoço dela literally translates to "The neck of her". In Portuguese, this "of her" phrase must always go after the noun it describes.

Question 3

I learned that longo means "long". Why is comprido used here?

Accepted Answer

Both longo and comprido mean "long". However, comprido is specifically used to describe the physical length of tangible objects, body parts, or hair. Longo is more often used for time or abstract things (like a long day or a long story), though it can sometimes be used for physical length too. For a neck, comprido is the most natural choice.

Question 4

Why do we use é (from the verb ser) instead of está (from the verb estar)?

Accepted Answer

The verb ser is used to describe permanent or essential characteristics. Having a long neck is a fixed physical trait of this person, not a temporary condition, so we must use é.

O pescoço dela é comprido.

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