Phrase · 🎶 Cultural references & allusions

Essa reforma é só para inglês ver.

This reform is just for show.

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Why every word is where it is

Essadeterminerthisesse · fem. · sing.reformanounreformfem. · sing.éverbisser · present · 3rd sing.sóadverbonly, justpara1prepositionfor, toinglês1nounEnglishmanmasc. · sing.ver1verbseeinfinitive.

para → ver: para inglês ver = for show
reforma → ver: the reform exists only to be seen

Why it's built this way

The notes match the numbers above.

1
«para inglês ver» (literally «for the English to see») recalls the 1831 law against the slave trade, passed to please Britain and never enforced.