Question 1

Why use é instead of está when talking about a place's beauty?

Accepted Answer

We use é (from the verb ser) because we are describing a permanent or inherent characteristic. The general beauty of a region is considered a lasting quality in Portuguese, whereas está (from estar) would imply it only looks beautiful right now temporarily.

Question 2

Are compass directions and regions like nordeste always masculine?

Accepted Answer

Yes! All compass points in Portuguese are masculine nouns. This means you will always use masculine articles and adjectives with them, such as o norte (the north), o sul (the south), and in this case, the masculine article o before nordeste.

Question 3

Why is it do país instead of just de país?

Accepted Answer

The word do is a mandatory contraction of the preposition de (of) and the masculine definite article o (the). Because you are saying of the country rather than just of country, you must combine de and o to make do.

Question 4

I see an accent on país. Does it change how the word is pronounced?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the accent tells you to put the stress on the i instead of the first vowel, and it breaks up the vowels into two separate syllables. Without the accent, it would be pronounced as a single syllable, which is actually a different word entirely: pais (parents).

O nordeste do país é bonito.

Breakdown of O nordeste do país é bonito.

Questions & Answers about O nordeste do país é bonito.

Learn O nordeste do país é bonito and more in Portuguese