Breakdown of Esse tipo trabalha no café.
no
in the / on the / at the (m, f, pl forms: na, nos, nas)
o café
the café
trabalhar
to work
esse
that (esse, essa, esses, essas)
o tipo
the type; the guy (colloquial)
Questions & Answers about Esse tipo trabalha no café.
Doesn't tipo usually mean 'type' or 'kind'?
Yes, it does! But in informal European Portuguese, tipo is also the most common way to say 'guy', 'dude', or 'bloke'. You will hear it constantly in everyday conversations.
Why does the sentence use Esse for 'That guy' instead of Aquele?
Why is it no café instead of ao café?
To say you work 'at' or 'in' a physical location, Portuguese uses the preposition em. Because café is a masculine noun, em combines with the word o (the) to become no. You would use ao (to the) for movement, like going to the café (vou ao café).
Could trabalha also mean 'is working'?
Yes! In Portuguese, the simple present tense trabalha can mean either 'works' as a general habit or 'is working' right now. However, if you want to emphasize that he is working at this exact moment, European Portuguese often uses the structure está a trabalhar.
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