Breakdown of O processo está suspenso, o que é um problema.
ser
to be
o que
what
um
a / an / some (all forms)
o problema
the problem
estar
to be (temporary / location)
o processo
the file (legal, administrative)
suspenso
suspended
Questions & Answers about O processo está suspenso, o que é um problema.
Why do we use suspenso here instead of the regular participle suspendido?
Suspender (to suspend) is a verb with two past participles. You use the short, irregular form (suspenso) with the verbs ser and estar to describe a state or form the passive voice. You only use the regular form (suspendido) with ter or haver to form compound past tenses, such as when saying someone had suspended something.
Why do we say o que here instead of just que for "which"?
Why is processo translated as "file" rather than "process"?
While processo directly translates to "process", in legal, medical, or administrative contexts it is the standard word for a "file", "lawsuit", or "dossier" containing all the documents about a specific case.
Why use estar (está suspenso) instead of ser (é suspenso) here?
We use estar to describe the current, temporary condition the file is in. If you said O processo é suspenso, you would be using the passive voice to describe a routine or general action, meaning "The file gets suspended" rather than focusing on its current state.
Learn O processo está suspenso, o que é um problema 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