Breakdown of Eu vou pagar a fatura agora e depois vou ao supermercado.
Questions & Answers about Eu vou pagar a fatura agora e depois vou ao supermercado.
Why does the sentence start with eu? Can I leave it out?
Yes, you often can.
In Brazilian Portuguese, the verb form usually already shows the subject, so eu is optional here. A very natural spoken version is:
Vou pagar a fatura agora e depois vou ao supermercado.
Using eu can add:
- emphasis
- clarity
- contrast with someone else
So Eu vou pagar... is correct, but Vou pagar... is also very common.
Why is it vou pagar instead of a simple future form like pagarei?
Vou pagar is the most common everyday way to talk about the near future in Brazilian Portuguese.
It is formed with:
- vou = I am going
- infinitive verb = pagar
So vou pagar literally looks like I am going to pay, and that is exactly how it often works.
The simple future pagarei is grammatically correct, but it sounds:
- more formal
- more written
- less conversational in many everyday situations
So in normal speech, vou pagar is usually the more natural choice.
Why does the sentence say vou pagar, but later just vou ao supermercado and not vou ir ao supermercado?
Because the two vou forms are doing different jobs.
In vou pagar:
In vou ao supermercado:
- vou itself is the main verb, from ir
- it means I go / I’m going / I’ll go, depending on context
So vou ir ao supermercado is usually avoided in standard usage because it sounds repetitive: basically I’m going to go.
Portuguese normally prefers:
- vou pagar
- vou ao supermercado
What does ao mean?
Ao is a contraction of:
- a = to
- o = the
So:
- a + o = ao
That means ao supermercado is literally to the supermarket.
This contraction is required in standard Portuguese. You do not normally say a o supermercado.
Why is there an article in ao supermercado? Why not just vou a supermercado?
In Portuguese, it is very common to use a definite article with places like o supermercado, o banco, o hospital, o cinema.
So after ir a, you usually get:
- ir ao supermercado
- ir ao banco
- ir ao cinema
Saying vou a supermercado sounds incomplete or unnatural in standard Portuguese.
Why is there no eu before the second vou?
Because the subject is still the same: I.
Portuguese often omits repeated subject pronouns when the meaning is clear. So:
Eu vou pagar a fatura agora e depois vou ao supermercado.
is perfectly natural.
You could also say:
Eu vou pagar a fatura agora e depois eu vou ao supermercado.
That is also correct, but the second eu is not necessary unless you want emphasis.
What is the role of agora and depois in the sentence?
They show the order of actions.
- agora = now
- depois = afterward / later / then
So the sequence is:
- pay the bill now
- go to the supermarket after that
They help organize the timeline very clearly.
Can agora and depois move to other positions in the sentence?
Yes. Portuguese allows some flexibility in adverb placement.
For example, these are all possible:
- Eu vou pagar a fatura agora e depois vou ao supermercado.
- Agora eu vou pagar a fatura e depois vou ao supermercado.
- Eu vou agora pagar a fatura e depois vou ao supermercado.
(less common in everyday speech) - Eu vou pagar a fatura e depois vou ao supermercado.
The original version sounds very natural and clear.
Is fatura the same as conta?
Not always.
- fatura often refers to an invoice or a bill to be paid, especially things like a credit card bill
- conta is a broader word and can mean a bill, account, or tab
Examples:
- fatura do cartão = credit card bill
- conta de luz = electricity bill
- conta do restaurante = restaurant bill/check
So fatura is correct, but the exact English equivalent depends on context.
Why is e used before depois?
E simply means and. It connects the two actions:
- vou pagar a fatura agora
- depois vou ao supermercado
You could also separate them into two sentences:
Eu vou pagar a fatura agora. Depois vou ao supermercado.
But using e depois makes the flow smoother in one sentence.
Could I say para o supermercado instead of ao supermercado?
Yes, but there is a slight difference in feel.
- ir ao supermercado is the most standard and common way to say go to the supermarket
- ir para o supermercado can also work, but it may emphasize the destination a bit more
In many everyday situations, both are understood. However, vou ao supermercado is the most natural textbook-standard choice here.
Is this sentence natural in Brazilian Portuguese?
Yes, it is natural and correct.
A very common spoken version would be:
Vou pagar a fatura agora e depois vou ao supermercado.
That sounds normal and everyday in Brazil. The version with eu is also correct; it just feels a little more explicit.
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