Depois que ela caiu, o cotovelo dela ficou vermelho, e o joelho também.

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Breakdown of Depois que ela caiu, o cotovelo dela ficou vermelho, e o joelho também.

• dela: her
• ela: she
• vermelho: red

Questions & Answers about Depois que ela caiu, o cotovelo dela ficou vermelho, e o joelho também.

Why is it depois que and not depois de?

Depois que is used before a full clause with a conjugated verb:

• depois que ela caiu = after she fell

Depois de is used before a noun or an infinitive:

• depois da queda = after the fall
• depois de cair = after falling

So here, because ela caiu is a complete clause, depois que is the correct choice.

What tense is caiu?

Caiu is the preterite form of cair (to fall).

• ela caiu = she fell

The preterite is used for a completed action in the past. In this sentence, her falling is a finished event.

Why is caiu written without an accent mark?

Because in modern Portuguese spelling, caiu has no accent.

This often surprises learners because it looks like it might need one, but forms like:

• caiu
• saiu
• construiu

are written without an accent.