Learn Portuguese (Portugal): O sol morre no oeste.

O sol morre no oeste.

The sun dies in the west.

Breakdown of O sol morre no oeste.

in the / on the / at the (m, f, pl forms: na, nos, nas)

Questions & Answers about O sol morre no oeste.

Do Portuguese speakers actually say the sun dies (morre) every day?

This is a poetic way to describe the sunset, much like in English. In everyday conversation, to say the sun sets, you would normally use the reflexive verb pôr-se (for example, O sol põe-se). You will also hear the noun pôr do sol used to mean the sunset.

Why does the sentence use no oeste instead of just em oeste?

In Portuguese, compass points like norte, sul, este, and oeste are masculine nouns that require the definite article (o) when you talk about locations or directions. Because of this rule, the preposition em (in) must combine with the article o (the) to form the contraction no.

The word oeste sounds very similar to the word for east. How do I tell them apart?

They are very easy to mix up! oeste means west, while east is este. Because este sounds identical to the word for this, Portuguese speakers very frequently use the alternative word leste to mean east in order to avoid any confusion.