Breakdown of O sabor deste bolo é ótimo.
ser
to be
de
of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)
o bolo
the cake
o este
the east
ótimo
great, excellent
o sabor
the flavour, the taste
Questions & Answers about O sabor deste bolo é ótimo.
Why is it deste bolo and not just de este bolo?
In Portuguese, the preposition de (of) always merges with the word este (this) to form the contraction deste. Because bolo is a masculine word, we use the masculine form deste.
Why do we use é here instead of está?
Even though you are eating the cake right now, its overall flavour is an intrinsic, permanent quality of how it was baked. We use ser (é) for permanent characteristics, rather than estar (está) which is for temporary states.
Does ótimo change its ending depending on the subject?
Is ótimo the same as saying muito bom?
Exactly. Ótimo means 'great' or 'excellent' and is the superlative form of bom (good). You will hear native speakers use ótimo all the time instead of saying muito bom.
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