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A ponte passa por cima do rio.

A ponte passa por cima do rio.
The bridge passes over the river.
From Lesson 123:As preposições de lugar (entre, por cima de)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of A ponte passa por cima do rio.

o rio
the river
passar
to pass
por cima de
over, above

Questions & Answers about A ponte passa por cima do rio.

Is ponte a feminine word? It ends in '-e'.
Yes, ponte (bridge) is feminine, which is why it uses A. Words ending in '-e' in Portuguese don't follow a strict rule for being masculine or feminine, so it is best to memorize their gender as you learn them.
What does por cima mean literally?
It translates roughly to 'by the top' or 'through the top'. When you want to say 'over' or 'on top of' in Portuguese, you use the set phrase por cima de.
Why is it do rio instead of just o rio?
Because the phrase for 'over' is por cima de, it requires the preposition de (of). We then combine de with the masculine word for 'the' (o) before rio (river). So, de + o = do.
Could I use sobre to mean 'over' in this sentence?
Yes, you can absolutely say passa sobre o rio. Both mean exactly the same thing, though por cima de is very common in everyday conversation.

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