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How to Say ‘There were fewer customers at the start of summer.’ in Portuguese

Houve menos clientes no início do verão.

OH-veh MEH-noosh klee-EN-tsh noo ee-NEE-syoo doo veh-ROWN

[OH-veh MEH-noosh klee-EN-tsh noo ee-NEE-syoo doo veh-ROWN]

Phrase Breakdown

Houve menos clientes

OH-veh MEH-noosh klee-EN-tsh

There were fewer customers

This is the main statement. The 'h' in 'houve' is silent.

Example

Houve menos clientes hoje.

There were fewer customers today.

Words in this phrase

Houve

[OH-veh]

there was

Past tense of impersonal 'haver' (there is).

Example

Houve um problema ontem.

There was a problem yesterday.

menos

[MEH-noosh]

less

Opposite of 'mais'.

Example

Quero menos açúcar.

I want less sugar.

clientes

[klee-EN-tsh]

customers

Plural of 'cliente', people who buy or use a service.

Example

Os clientes estão satisfeitos.

The customers are satisfied.

no início do verão.

noo ee-NEE-syoo doo veh-ROWN

at the beginning of the summer.

This says when it happened. Say it as one smooth phrase.

Example

Chove no início do verão.

It rains at the beginning of the summer.

Words in this phrase

[noo]

in the; at the

Contraction of em + o, used to say in the or at the masculine singular noun.

Example

Escrevi «No» evento para indicar onde nos conhecemos.

I wrote “at the” event to indicate where we met.

início

[ee-NEE-syoo]

beginning / start

Noun for the start of a period or event.

Example

No início do mês há mais trabalho.

At the start of the month there's more work.

[doo]

of the

Contraction of 'de' + 'o'; 'precisar de' means to need.

Example

Gosto do metro.

I like the metro.

verão

[veh-ROWN]

summer

The summer season.

Example

O verão é bom para o turismo.

Summer is good for tourism.

Guides for Portuguese learners

The Portuguese You Actually Need in Your First Month in PortugalThe European Portuguese phrases for your first weeks in Portugal: paperwork, renting a flat, the bank, the health centre, cafés, trains and your new neighbours.

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