Depois de varrer a varanda e dobrar o lençol, eu consegui descansar.

Because after depois de when the subject is the same, Portuguese normally uses the infinitive.

So:

• Depois de varrer a varanda e dobrar o lençol... = After sweeping the porch and folding the sheet...

The person doing varrer, dobrar, and consegui is the same person: eu.

A very useful pattern is:

• depois de + infinitive

Examples:

• Depois de comer, fui dormir.
• Depois de estudar, saí.

If the subject changes, Portuguese often uses a different structure, such as depois que + a conjugated verb:

• Depois que ele chegou, nós jantamos. = After he arrived, we had dinner.

Depois de means after.

In this sentence, it introduces an action that happened before the main action:

• Depois de varrer a varanda e dobrar o lençol, eu consegui descansar.

So the order is:

1. sweep the porch
2. fold the sheet
3. finally manage to rest

This is a very common time expression in Portuguese.

Compare:

• antes de sair = before leaving
• depois de sair = after leaving

Because nouns in Portuguese have grammatical gender.

• varanda is feminine → a varanda
• lençol is masculine → o lençol

So:

• varrer a varanda = to sweep the porch/balcony/veranda
• dobrar o lençol = to fold the sheet

You usually need the definite article in Portuguese more often than in English, especially with direct objects like these.

Lençol usually means bedsheet or sheet.

In everyday use, dobrar o lençol most naturally means to fold the bedsheet.

A pronunciation/spelling note:

• The ç in lençol makes an s sound.
• So it sounds roughly like len-SOL.

Without the cedilla, c before o would sound different, so ç is important.

The comma separates the introductory phrase from the main clause.

• Depois de varrer a varanda e dobrar o lençol, = introductory time phrase
• eu consegui descansar. = main clause

English often does the same:

• After sweeping the porch and folding the sheet, I managed to rest.

The comma helps readability, especially because the first part is a longer introductory expression.

Because consegui descansar means more than simply I rested. It suggests I managed to rest or I was finally able to rest.

So there is an idea of:

• effort before the rest
• difficulty or delay
• eventual success

Compare:

• Eu descansei. = I rested.
• Eu consegui descansar. = I managed to rest / I was able to rest.

In this sentence, that makes sense because the speaker had chores to finish first.

Both can relate to being able to rest, but they are not always identical.

• conseguir descansar = to manage to rest, often implying effort, difficulty, or success after obstacles
• poder descansar = to be able/allowed to rest, often focusing more on possibility or permission

So here:

• eu consegui descansar feels like:
• I finally managed to rest

While:

• eu pude descansar would feel more like:
• I was able to rest

Both are possible in some contexts, but consegui is especially natural when the idea is I got everything done and finally succeeded in resting.

Because the sentence describes a completed event in the past.

• consegui = first-person singular pretérito perfeito of conseguir
• It means I managed or I succeeded

The speaker is talking about one finished situation:

• first the chores were done
• then the rest happened

If you used the imperfect (conseguia), the meaning would change:

• eu conseguia descansar = I was able to rest / I used to be able to rest This sounds more ongoing, habitual, or descriptive, not like one completed event.

Yes. Portuguese often drops subject pronouns when the verb already makes the subject clear.

So these are both correct:

• Depois de varrer a varanda e dobrar o lençol, eu consegui descansar.
• Depois de varrer a varanda e dobrar o lençol, consegui descansar.

Because consegui clearly shows the subject is I.

Including eu can add:

• emphasis
• contrast
• clarity

But in normal conversation, leaving it out is very common.

Portuguese does not need an extra expression like and then here. The sequence is already clear from the structure.

• Depois de... already tells you that the next action happened afterward.

So:

• Depois de varrer a varanda e dobrar o lençol, eu consegui descansar.

naturally means:

• After sweeping the porch and folding the sheet, I managed to rest.

If you added something like e então, it would usually sound unnecessary unless you wanted extra emphasis.

Yes, but the tone changes.

• Depois de varrer... = very common, neutral, everyday
• Após varrer... = also correct, but often sounds a bit more formal or written

For everyday Brazilian Portuguese, depois de is usually the more natural choice.

Example:

• Depois de almoçar, saí. = everyday
• Após almoçar, saí. = correct, slightly more formal

Not always. Varanda can mean things like:

• porch
• balcony
• veranda

The exact translation depends on the house/apartment and context.

In this sentence, varrer a varanda means sweeping that outdoor or semi-outdoor area. In many contexts, porch works well, but sometimes balcony or veranda may fit better.

Yes, grammatically you could change the order:

• Depois de dobrar o lençol e varrer a varanda, eu consegui descansar.

That would still be correct. The original order probably just reflects the order the speaker wants to present the chores in.

Portuguese allows this kind of flexibility as long as the sentence remains clear.

A very natural spoken version could be:

• Depois de varrer a varanda e dobrar o lençol, consegui descansar.

Dropping eu is very normal in speech.

Another possible spoken version is:

• Depois de varrer a varanda e dobrar o lençol, finalmente consegui descansar.

Adding finalmente gives extra emphasis to the idea of finally managing to rest.

But the original sentence is already completely natural and correct.