Portuguese Phrase
Os incêndios estão perto da tua cidade?
Meaning
This question asks whether the fires are close to the listener's city. It uses the plural noun 'incêndios' (fires) and the verb 'estar' to talk about location, combined with the preposition 'perto de' (near). The possessive 'tua' is informal, suitable for speaking with friends or family.
When to use
Use this phrase when discussing news about wildfires, asking about safety concerns, or planning travel. It works in informal conversations, especially when you want to know if a fire might affect someone's hometown.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Osincêndiosestãopertodatuacidade?
Definite article + plural noun
'Os' is the masculine plural definite article used with 'incêndios' (fires).
Verb 'estar' for location
'Estão' is the third‑person plural present of 'estar', used to describe where something is.
Preposition 'perto de'
'Perto' (near) always takes the preposition 'de' before the noun it modifies.
Contraction 'da'
'Da' = 'de' + 'a', because 'cidade' is feminine singular.
Possessive adjective agreement
'Tua' agrees in gender (feminine) and number (singular) with 'cidade'.
Interrogative intonation
Raising intonation at the end signals a yes/no question.
🗨In Conversation
Os incêndios estão perto da tua cidade?
Are the fires near your city?
Ainda não, mas o vento está a mudar de direção.
Not yet, but the wind is changing direction.
✕Common Mistakes
O incêndio está perto da tua cidade?
The noun should be plural because you are referring to multiple fires.
Os incêndios estão perto a tua cidade?
The correct preposition after 'perto' is 'de', not 'a'.
Os incêndios estão perto do teu cidade?
When using the preposition 'de', the possessive must be 'tua' (feminine) to agree with 'cidade'.
↔Alternatives
Os incêndios estão próximos da sua cidade?
Are the fires close to your city?
Há incêndios perto da tua cidade?
Are there fires near your city?
Os fogos de artifício estão perto da tua cidade?
Are the fireworks near your city?
Cultural Tip
In Portugal, 'tua' is used in informal contexts, while 'sua' is the formal or polite form. When talking about emergencies like wildfires, people often switch to the formal register to show respect, especially with strangers or authorities. Also, 'incêndios' usually refers to wildfires; for house fires, you would say 'incêndios domésticos'.