Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Nós estamos a multiplicar a proporção exata.

Multiplicar means 'to multiply'. In this lesson on fractions and multipliers, you will often see it used to calculate outcomes. For example, if you multiply something by two (multiplicar por dois), the result is double (o dobro).

Why does this sentence use estamos a multiplicar instead of just multiplicamos?

Estamos a multiplicar uses the verb estar followed by a and the infinitive verb. This is the standard way to form the present continuous in Portugal, emphasizing an action happening right at this exact moment ('we are currently multiplying'). If you used multiplicamos, it would just mean the general fact 'we multiply'.

How do I pronounce the 'x' in exata, and why is there no 'c' like in the English word exact?

The 'x' in exata is pronounced like a 'z' in English. Older Portuguese texts used to spell it 'exacta', but because the 'c' is completely silent in European Portuguese, it was officially removed from the spelling.

Is proporção the normal word for 'ratio' in Portuguese math?

Yes, proporção translates perfectly to 'proportion' or 'ratio'. You will see it used in mathematics, but it is just as common in everyday contexts like cooking. Because it is a feminine noun, it requires the feminine article a and the feminine adjective ending in exata.