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Questions & Answers about Eu vou ganhar o jogo amanhã.
Why vou ganhar instead of the simple future ganharei?
Portuguese has two ways to talk about the future:
- A periphrastic future using ir
- infinitive (e.g. vou ganhar), which is by far the most common form in spoken Brazilian Portuguese. It’s equivalent to English “I am going to win.”
- A simple future tense (e.g. ganharei), which is grammatically correct but is used more in formal writing or very emphatic statements. Saying Eu ganharei o jogo amanhã is correct, but it sounds stiffer and less conversational.
What role does vou play in this sentence?
Vou is the first-person singular present indicative of the verb ir (to go). Here it functions as an auxiliary verb to form the near future, just like English “I’m going to.” Alone, vou means “I go,” but when you attach an infinitive (e.g. ganhar), it shifts to “I am going to win.”
Why is ganhar in the infinitive form?
In Portuguese, when you use ir as an auxiliary for the periphrastic future, the main verb always stays in the infinitive. That’s the pattern: ir (conjugated) + [infinitive]. You would do the same with any other verb: vou comer, vai estudar, vamos viajar, etc.
Why is there an article o before jogo?
Portuguese frequently uses definite articles before nouns, even when English would drop them. O is the masculine singular definite article (“the”). Without it, jogo would sound odd or ungrammatical:
- Correct: Eu vou ganhar o jogo amanhã.
- Incorrect: Eu vou ganhar jogo amanhã.
Can I drop the subject pronoun Eu here?
Yes. Portuguese is a pro-drop language: the verb ending already tells you who the subject is. In conversation, you’d often hear simply:
- Vou ganhar o jogo amanhã.
Including Eu isn’t wrong—it adds slight emphasis on who will win—but it’s not necessary.
Why is the time expression amanhã placed at the end of the sentence?
Portuguese allows adverbs of time (like amanhã) in various positions. Putting it at the end is very common in everyday speech because it gives a natural rhythm:
- Eu vou ganhar o jogo amanhã.
You could also say Amanhã eu vou ganhar o jogo, but that puts extra emphasis on when rather than on the action itself.
What’s the difference between ganhar and vencer when talking about winning?
Both verbs can mean “to win,” but:
- Ganhar is more versatile and the go-to verb for winning games, earning prizes or money, and receiving something.
- Vencer carries a nuance of “overcoming” or “prevailing” and is slightly more formal or dramatic.
Examples: - Ganhar o campeonato (win the championship)
- Vencer o desafio (overcome the challenge)
In a sports match, Brazilians typically say ganhar o jogo rather than vencer o jogo, although both are understood.