Eu quero descansar agora, pois foi um dia longo de compras.

I want to rest now, because it was a long day of shopping.

Breakdown of Eu quero descansar agora, pois foi um dia longo de compras.

• eu: I
• ser: to be
• agora: now
• querer: to want
• um: a
• dia: day
• de: of
• pois: because
• descansar: to rest
• longo: long
• compras: shopping

Questions & Answers about Eu quero descansar agora, pois foi um dia longo de compras.

Why is pois used here instead of other words like porque or já que?

Pois can often be used interchangeably with porque or já que, but it’s slightly more formal and emphasizes the explanation or reason. In casual conversation, many Brazilians would still use porque or já que. In this sentence, pois can convey a sense of “since” or “given that.”

Why is descansar in the infinitive instead of a conjugated form like descanso?

In Portuguese, after certain verbs such as querer (to want), we use the infinitive form of the next verb. So you say Eu quero descansar (I want to rest) rather than Eu quero descanso, which would literally mean “I want rest” and doesn’t convey doing the action.

Is it possible to replace descansar with relaxar in this sentence?

You could say Eu quero relaxar agora, but descansar specifically emphasizes taking a rest or break, possibly sleeping or simply stopping physical/mental effort. Relaxar focuses more on a state of being at ease, which can include leisure activities. They’re close in meaning, but descansar is more about recovering energy.

What does um dia longo de compras imply, and could we say it differently?

Um dia longo de compras suggests a day spent shopping that felt long and possibly tiring. You could also say foi um dia cansativo de compras or foi um dia cheio de compras to convey similar meanings. Each variation can slightly change the emphasis on “tiring” or “busy,” but in all those cases, you’re describing that the day was centered around shopping and felt extensive.

Why does the sentence use foi (past tense of ser) instead of era or estava?

Foi is the simple past tense referring to a completed event: the day of shopping is fully in the past. Era would imply something more descriptive or continuous in the past, and estava (a past continuous form of estar) wouldn’t work well here because it typically describes conditions or states. In this context, foi indicates that the day of shopping happened and is now over.

Can I say um longo dia de compras instead of um dia longo de compras?

Yes, switching longo and dia is acceptable. However, um dia longo de compras can sound slightly more natural to many speakers. Placing longo before or after dia doesn’t usually change the meaning much, though it might subtly affect emphasis.