Eu vou tomar um banho depois do jantar, mas antes quero tomar uma cerveja.

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Breakdown of Eu vou tomar um banho depois do jantar, mas antes quero tomar uma cerveja.

• querer: to want
• um: a
• uma: a
• mas: but
• ir: to go
• tomar: to take
• o banho: the bath
• depois de: after
• o jantar: the dinner
• tomar: to have
• a cerveja: the beer

Questions & Answers about Eu vou tomar um banho depois do jantar, mas antes quero tomar uma cerveja.

Why is tomar um banho used here instead of something like pegar um banho?

In Brazilian Portuguese, tomar um banho literally translates to "take a bath" or "take a shower," and this is the idiomatic way to say it. You generally won't hear pegar um banho. The verb tomar is the most common choice when referring to "taking" a shower or bath in Portuguese.

Why does the sentence switch from tomar um banho to tomar uma cerveja?

Although tomar can mean "to take" in the sense of a bath or shower, it also means "to drink" in the context of beverages. So tomar uma cerveja simply means "to have a beer" or "to drink a beer." It’s a single verb that covers both meanings in Portuguese.

Is it correct to say antes quero instead of antes eu quero?

Yes, omitting the pronoun eu is common in Portuguese because the conjugation of the verb quero already indicates the subject. Including eu is also correct, but leaving it out is perfectly acceptable and often sounds more natural in everyday speech.

What does mas antes mean, and can I just say antes?

Mas antes literally translates to "but first" or "but before that." You could simply say antes, but mas antes emphasizes the contrast between what will happen after dinner (taking a shower) and what the speaker wants to do first (have a beer).

What tense is eu vou tomar and why is it used here?

Eu vou tomar is the periphrastic future tense in Portuguese, formed with ir (to go) + the infinitive (tomar). It expresses a future action — "I’m going to take (a shower)." This is a very common way to talk about future plans or intentions in Portuguese.