Breakdown of A alfândega abriu a minha mala.
abrir
to open
meu
my (m/f/pl: meu, minha, meus, minhas)
a mala
the suitcase
a alfândega
the customs
Questions & Answers about A alfândega abriu a minha mala.
Why is there an a before minha mala?
In European Portuguese, you normally put a definite article (o or a) before a possessive word like minha. So, instead of saying just 'my suitcase', you say 'the my suitcase' (a minha mala).
What tense is abriu and what is its dictionary form?
Abriu is the simple past tense of the regular verb abrir (to open). It is conjugated in the third-person singular form because the subject, a alfândega (Customs), is treated as a singular 'it'.
Does mala only mean 'suitcase'?
No, mala is a very flexible word. Depending on the context, it can mean a suitcase, a handbag, a briefcase, or even the trunk of a car. Here at customs, it clearly means a suitcase or travel bag.
Why does alfândega have an accent mark (^) on the a?
The circumflex accent shows that the stress falls on that specific syllable (-fân-), breaking the usual rule where words ending in a vowel are stressed on the second-to-last syllable. It also tells you to pronounce that a with a closed, slightly nasal sound.
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