"Eu sou melhor do que você na cozinha."

Translation: I am better than you in the kitchen.

[ohheyitsalpha]

Those are fightin' words!

[PacoWarabi]

"Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you!"

[RayO_Jag]

"Allez cuisine!"

[-_-85]

Is it necessary to use "de - do - da ... que" after using comparative adverbs? E.G. Can I write "Eu sou melhor de você na cozinha"?

[Paulenrique]

For comparisons use DO QUE or simply QUE.

[cazort]

Is there any logic to why this is "do que" rather than "que"? I thought "do" = "de+o" and saying "o que" doesn't seem to make sense to me.

[Paulenrique]

There isn't any logic. It is just the structure. "Do que" here is not "de" + "o que", but only a possible construction for comparative sentences.

[cazort]

Ahh, okay, that makes sense! Thanks!

[Paulenrique]

than = do que, que

It is a fixed structure.

[Gravitier]

I don't understand what do is in this case if it is not de + o.

[-_-85]

Ok, I'm making a comparation with IT more than EN, there is a little difference in these cases, in fact we use "Io sono migliore DI te in cucina" (so literal translation is "eu sou melhor DE vc na cuzinha") BR\por in this case works as like EN does.
Thanks! ;)

[Paulenrique]

Yes! In this case it is works like in English =)

[blomasger]

IT is very difficult in comparisons: If: "di" or "que"

[dandro777]

But what about 'da que'? Is that possible (if the other person is female)?

[Paulenrique]

No. In comparison, you should always use "que" or "do que", never "da que".

[Lazrab]

Is this even if the subject is feminine? "ela é melhor da que Gabriella no campo" would be wrong?

[Paulenrique]

Yes, you should always use "do que" =)

[ashleyjan07]

So it is ok to say: Eu sou melhor que voce ..?

[Paulenrique]

Yes, it is also right.

[ced1310]

I am better than you (are) in the kitchen. In English the verb is understood , but can also be vocalised. So this is not wrong. It is said.

[RyanKrogfoss1]

Oh you want to have a cook off duo

[Trenico]

why "do" before que?, what does it translate?, if i say just "que" it would sound good?

[Paulenrique]

Than = que / do que. They mean the same.

[bretonparano]

I am better than you for cooking.

This is wrong in english ? you need to use "at cooking"?

One of my issue is that 3/4 of my mistakes are english errors, the most common being forgetting the s on the verb for the third person of the singular.

[vam1980]

It's not so much 'for' or 'at' cooking. You need to use the noun 'kitchen' here instead of the verb.

[Scutigera]

Well, this is interesting...

Another hint is that the "cook" conjugation for eu is cozinho (1st Person) rather than cozinha (3nd Person), and "cooking" is cozinhando:

http://www.conjuga-me.net/en/verbo-cozinhar

I cook better than you [do].

Switching the words a bit more to what started this subthread, I am better at cooking than you via google translate comes up as, Estou melhor cozinhando do que você which subsequently translates back to English as, I'm better off cooking than you. :}

However, the original word order (from bretonparano's comment), I am better than you at cooking on the google translate does indeed comes up as, Eu sou melhor do que você na cozinha which then does translate back to English as, I'm better than you in the kitchen.

So either google is wrong, or we do not understand... I am guessing it has something to do with the confusing issue of the verbs and nouns being the same spelling.

But it would be nice to know from a native speaker of Portuguese why "cozinha" is the verb that comes up for "cooking" with that sentence structure instead of cozinho. :)

In any regard, where this sentence exercise is originally placed in the DL tree (Adjectives) it is some 9 skill units away from learning anything but Simple Present (that means cook in this case, rather than cooking). Which means forever if we follow DL's current algorithm for suggested review and practice. =]

[standelf]

In this case, it is very easy. Na = em + a, and em is, of course, a preposition. What follows a preposition has to be a noun or a nominal form of the verb. Hence, a cozinha = the kitchen.
"Better than you at cooking", on the other hand, would be: melhor do que você em cozinhar. Again, the same preposition em but followed by the nominal form of the verb (verb in infinitive).

[Scutigera]

Thank you. :)

Very easy indeed... well, for some anyway. :D

I ask more questions the more tired I get, but DL said we retain more if we practice before we sleep... Zzzz. =]

So the google is incorrect with both the determiner and the verb structure?

Cozinhar means cooking then? I thought the infinitive was to cook.

I am trying not to get too far ahead of myself though because I do not want to scramble my mind any more than it already is. :)

However, these lessons stay with me so I appreciate the time you take to answer.

Maybe I can sneak a bonus question in too. What then is the Portuguese for the English gerund, the cooking? For instance, I do the cooking in our kitchen.

[standelf]

You should consult Danmoller's Guide as often as possible, just sayin' ;)
https://www.duolingo.com/comment/6331998
https://www.duolingo.com/comment/4500543

[Scutigera]

You should consult Danmoller's Guide as often as possible, just sayin' ;)

Perfect! TY. :) :)

That DM, he should write a book for us. :) He seems to have plenty of material. :)

[Paulie-Waulie]

Why is it 'do que' and not 'de que'?

[surfx2015]

Porque na frase "Eu sou melhor do que você na cozinha", o "do que" se refere a uma pessoa, é uma comparação entre "eu" e "você", e não uma comparação entre coisas.

"Do que" - alguém

um exemplo de "de que" pode ser:

"Onze provas de que o céu é real."

[deactivated user]

Thank you! Here's a lingot for your excellent post.

[YouEssican]

Is "melhor do que..." only for people? Could we also say "Esta faca é melhor do que aquela"?

[Paulenrique]

Yes. "melhor do que..." works for everything =)

[YouEssican]

ou "...pior do que ela"?

[Paulenrique]

Yes, also. =)

[Cely386728]

I think that I am writing this a long time after you wrote these words, but...I love your contribution to Duo AND your easy nature.

[Paulenrique]

Thanks a lot for your acknowledgement and compliment! =]

[YouEssican]

Whoo, vamos lá!

Muito agradecido, amigo : )