Breakdown of O supervisor rigoroso é muito pontual.
ser
to be
muito
much / very
o supervisor
the supervisor
rigoroso
strict
Questions & Answers about O supervisor rigoroso é muito pontual.
Why do we use é (from the verb ser) instead of está here?
We use é because being punctual is described as a permanent personality trait of this supervisor. If we used está, it would mean he happens to be on time right now or today, rather than it being his normal character.
Does rigoroso always mean "strict"?
When describing a person in authority, rigoroso means "strict" or "demanding". However, if you are describing a process, test, or weather, it translates closer to the English "rigorous", "precise", or "harsh" (like um inverno rigoroso for a harsh winter).
If the supervisor were female, would pontual change to match her gender?
No, pontual remains exactly the same. While o supervisor becomes a supervisora and rigoroso becomes rigorosa, adjectives ending in -l are gender-neutral in Portuguese.