Question 1

Why does demasiadas end in -as here instead of just being demasiado?

Accepted Answer

In this sentence, it acts as a quantifier describing the noun coisas (things). Because coisas is feminine and plural, demasiadas has to agree with it. If it were used as an adverb to describe an adjective or a verb, it would stay in its fixed, unchanging form: demasiado.

Question 2

Could I just use muitas instead of demasiadas?

Accepted Answer

You could grammatically, but it changes the meaning. Muitas coisas just means 'many things' or 'a lot of things'. Using demasiadas coisas specifically means 'too many things' — an excessive amount. This excess is exactly why the shoes won't fit!

Question 3

I don't recognize the verb cabem. What is the infinitive?

Accepted Answer

It comes from the verb caber (to fit). It is an irregular verb, but very common when talking about things fitting into a physical space. Here it is in the third-person plural because the subject is os sapatos (the shoes). Be especially careful with the 'I' form, which is highly irregular: eu caibo.

Question 4

I've heard mala used for 'purse' or 'handbag'. How do I know it means 'suitcase' here?

Accepted Answer

Mala is a versatile word in Portuguese. It can mean suitcase, handbag, or even a car trunk (a mala do carro). In this sentence, the context of packing things and shoes not fitting gives us the clue that it is a piece of luggage, but it is good to remember that the exact translation of mala relies entirely on context.

Tens demasiadas coisas na mala e os sapatos não cabem.

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