Às vezes, é difícil viver em um lugar sujo sem ter tempo para limpar.

to be

Breakdown of Às vezes, é difícil viver em um lugar sujo sem ter tempo para limpar.

• ter: to have
• um: a
• em: in
• às vezes: sometimes
• limpar: to clean
• para: for
• o lugar: the place
• difícil: difficult
• viver: to live
• sujo: dirty
• sem: without
• o tempo: the time

Questions & Answers about Às vezes, é difícil viver em um lugar sujo sem ter tempo para limpar.

Why is the verb in the sentence in the infinitive ("viver" and "ter") rather than a conjugated form?

In Portuguese, when you use expressions like "é difícil" (it is difficult), they are often followed by a verb in the infinitive. So "é difícil viver" literally means "it is difficult to live," and the infinitive form is more natural in this structure. Similarly, "sem ter tempo" (without having time) also uses the verb in the infinitive after "sem."

Is there a difference between using "viver" and "morar" for "to live"?

Yes, there is a subtle difference. "Viver" can mean "to live" in a broader sense, including day-to-day existence. "Morar" is more specific to the idea of "residing." For example, "Eu moro em São Paulo" (I live in São Paulo) is more about where your home is, while "Eu vivo em São Paulo" can convey the general concept of living your life in São Paulo. In the sentence, using "viver" emphasizes the experience of being in that environment.

Can you explain the use of "um lugar sujo" versus "lugar sujo" without the article "um"?

The article "um" indicates that this is an indefinite place, which you could translate in English as "a dirty place." If you just said "lugar sujo," you might be talking more abstractly about "dirty places" in general. Including "um" helps specify it's "a certain (unspecified) dirty place."

What does "sem ter tempo para limpar" literally mean, and is this a common structure in Portuguese?

Literally, "sem ter tempo para limpar" means "without having time to clean." It uses the structure "sem + infinitive" (without + [verb]) to express the lack of something. This construction is very common in Portuguese. Another example could be "Saí de casa sem comer nada" ("I left home without eating anything").

Why is "É difícil" used instead of "Está difícil"?

"É difícil" (it is difficult) suggests a general or more permanent statement about the difficulty. "Está difícil" (it is being difficult) would imply a temporary or more immediate context. In this sentence, "Às vezes, é difícil viver em um lugar sujo sem ter tempo para limpar," the idea is that, in general, sometimes living in a dirty place without time to clean is difficult — it’s not necessarily only difficult at this specific moment.