Depois que a estrofe termina, cantamos o refrão.

Depois que means after when it introduces a full clause with its own verb.

In Depois que a estrofe termina, the part after depois que is a complete clause:

• a estrofe = subject
• termina = verb

So Portuguese uses depois que here.

Compare:

• depois que a estrofe termina = after the verse ends
• depois da estrofe = after the verse
• depois de terminar a estrofe = after finishing the verse

A useful rule:

• depois que
  • conjugated verb
• depois de
  • noun or infinitive

Termina is the present indicative form of terminar for a estrofe.

In Portuguese, the present tense is often used for:

• general truths
• habitual actions
• instructions
• sequence in songs, routines, or narratives

So Depois que a estrofe termina, cantamos o refrão can mean something like:

• whenever the verse ends, we sing the chorus
• after the verse ends, we sing the chorus

If you wanted a more clearly future idea, Portuguese often changes the verb form:

• Depois que a estrofe terminar, cantaremos o refrão.

That means After the verse ends, we will sing the chorus.

Portuguese often leaves out subject pronouns when the subject is clear from context.

Here, the subject is explicitly stated as a estrofe, so there is no need to add ela.

• a estrofe termina = the verse ends

Adding ela would usually sound unnecessary here.

This is very common in Portuguese:

• o show começa = the show starts
• a música acaba = the song ends

For the same reason: Portuguese often omits subject pronouns when the verb form already shows who the subject is.

• cantamos can mean we sing or we sang, depending on context
• so nós is optional

Here:

• cantamos o refrão = we sing the chorus

You could say:

• Depois que a estrofe termina, nós cantamos o refrão.

That is grammatically correct, but nós is not necessary unless you want emphasis or contrast.

It can mean either one, because in Portuguese the 1st person plural form of many -ar verbs is identical in:

• the present tense
• the simple past (preterite)

So:

• cantamos can mean we sing
• cantamos can also mean we sang

Context tells you which meaning is intended.

In this sentence, the meaning is understood as we sing, because the sentence describes a usual sequence or repeated action:

• first the verse ends
• then we sing the chorus

If it were clearly about a past event, the surrounding context would show that.

These are music-related words:

• estrofe = verse
• refrão = chorus or refrain

So in a song:

• the estrofe is one of the main lyrical sections
• the refrão is the repeated part

English speakers sometimes confuse refrão with verse, but it specifically refers to the repeated chorus/refrain section.

Portuguese uses definite articles much more often than English.

So:

• a estrofe = the verse
• o refrão = the chorus

Even where English might sometimes leave an article out, Portuguese often includes one naturally.

In this sentence, the speaker is referring to recognizable parts of a song, so using a and o sounds normal and expected.

The comma separates the opening subordinate clause from the main clause.

Structure:

• Depois que a estrofe termina = subordinate time clause
• cantamos o refrão = main clause

So the comma works like this:

• After the verse ends, we sing the chorus.

This is very common in Portuguese when the time clause comes first.

If the order were reversed, the comma is often omitted:

• Cantamos o refrão depois que a estrofe termina.

Yes, you could, but it is slightly different.

• Depois que a estrofe termina focuses on the action of the verse ending.
• Depois da estrofe means after the verse, treating estrofe more like a noun phrase rather than a clause.

Both can work, but they are not exactly identical in feel.

Compare:

• Depois que a estrofe termina, cantamos o refrão.
  After the verse ends, we sing the chorus.
• Depois da estrofe, cantamos o refrão.
  After the verse, we sing the chorus.

The first sounds a bit more event-based; the second is a little more compact.

Yes, but it sounds more formal or less conversational in many contexts.

Examples:

• Depois que a estrofe termina, cantamos o refrão.
  very natural in everyday language
• Após a estrofe terminar, cantamos o refrão.
  possible, but more formal or written

In normal spoken Brazilian Portuguese, depois que is usually the more natural choice.

Refrão has a nasal ending, which is very important in Portuguese.

A rough approximation is:

• heh-FROWN or heh-FRAH-owng, depending on how detailed you want to be

But the final -ão is not pronounced like a clear English own. It is a nasal diphthong, one of the most recognizable sounds in Portuguese.

A few helpful points:

• r at the beginning of refrão in Brazilian Portuguese is usually pronounced like a breathy English h
• ão is nasal, not a plain ow

So learners often need extra practice with:

• pão
• canção
• refrão

Often, yes.

Portuguese commonly uses the future subjunctive after expressions like depois que when the action is in the future.

So:

• Depois que a estrofe terminar, cantaremos o refrão.

That means:

• After the verse ends, we will sing the chorus.

Compare the two:

• Depois que a estrofe termina, cantamos o refrão.
  general/habitual sequence
• Depois que a estrofe terminar, cantaremos o refrão.
  future sequence

This is an important pattern in Portuguese, because English does not have a separate future subjunctive form like this.