Word
O norte do país é frio.
Meaning
The north of the country is cold.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of O norte do país é frio.
ser
to be
de
of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)
o país
the country
o norte
the north
Questions & Answers about O norte do país é frio.
Why do we use é (from the verb ser) instead of está (from the verb estar) here?
We normally use estar for weather because it changes (like hoje está frio - today is cold). However, here we are describing the permanent climate of the region, not just the temporary weather. For permanent characteristics, we always use ser.
Why does país have an accent mark on the 'i'?
The accent tells us to pronounce the 'a' and 'i' in separate syllables (pa-ÍS) and puts the stress on the 'i'. Without it, the word would be pais, which means "parents" and is pronounced as a single syllable.
Why is it do país and not just de país?
In Portuguese, we usually need the definite article (the) before a specific noun like país. The word do is a mandatory combination of the preposition de (of) and the masculine article o (the).
Do compass directions always need a "the" before them, like in o norte?
Yes, when talking about geographic regions or directions, Portuguese requires the definite article. All four cardinal directions are masculine, so you will always see o norte, o sul, o este (east), and o oeste (west).