Learn Portuguese (Portugal): O lençol limpo está na cama.

O lençol limpo está na cama.

The clean sheet is on the bed.

Breakdown of O lençol limpo está na cama.

estar

to be (temporary / location)

in the / on the / at the (f.sg)

Questions & Answers about O lençol limpo está na cama.

Why do we use está instead of é in this sentence?

We use está (from the verb estar) because it tells us the physical location of the sheet. In Portuguese, we always use estar for locations. Being clean is also a temporary condition, so you would still use estar if you were simply saying the sheet is clean.

What is the word na a combination of?

The word na is a required contraction of the preposition em (meaning in, on, or at) and the feminine article a (the). Because cama (bed) is a feminine noun, we combine em and a to get na.

Why does limpo come after lençol?

In Portuguese, descriptive adjectives like limpo (clean) usually come right after the noun they describe. This is the opposite of English, where the adjective normally comes before the noun.

How do I make the word lençol plural if there are multiple sheets?