Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil): Você vai se arrumar agora ou depois de comer?

In this sentence, se arrumar uses the reflexive pronoun se to show that the subject is performing the action on themselves. Rather than simply meaning “to arrange” or “to tidy,” se arrumar specifically means “to get oneself ready.”

Why is the future expressed using vai plus an infinitive instead of a dedicated future tense verb?

Brazilian Portuguese commonly uses the construction ir (conjugated as vai for “você”) followed by an infinitive to indicate a future action. This is similar to the English “going to” structure and is often preferred in everyday conversation.

What does the phrase depois de comer indicate about the timing of getting ready?

The phrase depois de comer means “after eating,” presenting an alternative timing for when the action of getting ready can occur. The sentence is offering a choice: get ready now (agora) or after eating (depois de comer).

Why is the preposition de necessary in the expression depois de comer?

In Portuguese, when using expressions like “after” that link to an action, it’s idiomatic to include the preposition de. Thus, depois de comer correctly connects the idea of “after” with the infinitive comer (“to eat”).

How would the meaning change if the reflexive pronoun se were omitted from se arrumar?

Without the reflexive pronoun, arrumar typically means “to tidy up” or “to arrange” something external. The inclusion of se changes the focus to the subject’s own preparation—“to get oneself ready.” Removing se would therefore alter the sentence’s meaning.