I have a question about the term “um duplex” from
or perhaps an apartment with two floors, which is called **um duplex (**a duplex).
In my American English, a duplex is a building with two living spaces, usually side by side. But here it is saying it’s an apartment with 2 floors.
Which is it in Portugal?
Also, what’s the difference between
’um quintal’ and ‘um jardim’?
When I put “um quintal” in the dictionary it says back yard.
@chokers_gossips6h, in Portugal, we understand duplex as an apartment with two floors, as described in the Learning Note. I believe the term, with this meaning, is a loanword from British English and won’t be interpreted in the same way by an American English speaker. For a US duplex, the closest term I can think of is casa geminada.
Quintal is a term we can use to refer to the outdoor area of a house in general, mainly if a (vegetable) garden can also be grown there. Otherwise, we might also just say pátio or terraço. Back yard is a suitable translation. Jardim would be translated as garden, and could be private or public. When referring to private homes, jardim would be especially (but not exclusively) suited for flower gardens/a lawn at the front.