Portuguese Phrase
Isso fortalece minhas pernas.
Meaning
Literally, ‘That strengthens my legs.’ The sentence is used to point out that a certain activity, exercise, or habit makes the speaker’s legs stronger.
When to use
You can say this after a workout, when describing a new training routine, or when explaining why you’re doing a particular activity that targets the lower body.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Issofortaleceminhaspernas.
Isso (demonstrative pronoun)
Used to refer to something previously mentioned or evident in the context; it translates to 'this' or 'that'.
fortalece (verb - fortalecer)
Third‑person singular present indicative of ‘fortalecer’ (to strengthen). The stem is ‘fortalec‑’ and the ending ‘‑e’ marks present tense for he/she/it.
minhas (possessive adjective)
Feminine plural form of ‘meu/minha’, agreeing with the noun ‘pernas’.
pernas (noun)
Plural of ‘perna’, meaning ‘leg(s)’. In Portuguese nouns agree in gender and number with their adjectives.
🗨In Conversation
Você tem treinado muito ultimamente?
Have you been training a lot lately?
Sim, isso fortalece minhas pernas.
Yes, that strengthens my legs.
✕Common Mistakes
Isso fortaleço minhas pernas.
‘Fortaleço’ is the first‑person singular form; the subject ‘isso’ requires the third‑person form ‘fortalece’.
Isso fortalece minha pernas.
The possessive adjective must agree in number with the noun; use ‘minhas’ for plural ‘pernas’.
Essa fortalece minhas pernas.
‘Essa’ is feminine singular; the correct demonstrative for a neutral idea is ‘isso’.
↔Alternatives
Isso ajuda a fortalecer minhas pernas.
That helps to strengthen my legs.
Isso desenvolve minhas pernas.
That develops my legs.
Isso melhora a força das minhas pernas.
That improves the strength of my legs.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, talking about fitness is common in casual conversation. The verb ‘fortalecer’ is often used when referring to muscle‑building activities, while ‘pernas’ can also be a slang term for the lower part of the body in sports contexts. Keep the tone friendly; using ‘isso’ makes the statement sound more immediate and personal.