Breakdown of A proporção é para uma porção pequena.
ser
to be
pequeno
small
um
a / an / some (all forms)
para
to / for
a proporção
the proportion
a porção
the portion (serving, part of a whole)
Questions & Answers about A proporção é para uma porção pequena.
What is the difference between proporção and porção in this sentence?
Why do we use para here instead of por?
In this sentence, para indicates purpose or intended use, meaning the ratio is designed for a small serving. If you used por instead, making it por uma porção, the sentence would mean "The proportion is per small portion." Both make sense grammatically, but para correctly matches the translation "is for."
Are the words proporção and porção pronounced differently?
Yes, but they can sound very similar in fast European Portuguese. The first o in proporção is usually reduced and barely pronounced (sounding a bit like "pru-pur-são"). You have to listen closely for that extra "r" sound in the middle of proporção to tell them apart.
Why does pequena come at the very end of the sentence?
Descriptive adjectives like pequena (small) almost always come after the noun they describe in Portuguese. Here, it follows the noun porção and ends in -a to match it, since porção is a feminine singular noun.
Learn A proporção é para uma porção pequena and more in Portuguese
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free