Breakdown of Depois de entrar na universidade, ela passou a estudar de manhã e a trabalhar à tarde.
estudar
to study
e
and
trabalhar
to work
ela
she
Questions & Answers about Depois de entrar na universidade, ela passou a estudar de manhã e a trabalhar à tarde.
What does passou a mean here? Does it have anything to do with to pass?
No. In this sentence, passou a + infinitive means began to / came to / started to.
So:
- ela passou a estudar = she started studying / she began to study
- ela passou a trabalhar = she started working
This is a very common Portuguese structure:
- passar a fazer = to start doing
- passar a entender = to come to understand
- passar a morar = to start living
It does not mean she literally passed something.
Why is it depois de entrar and not just depois entrar?
Because after depois de in Portuguese, you normally use either:
- a noun, or
- an infinitive
So:
- depois da aula = after class
- depois de entrar na universidade = after entering university / after getting into university
The de is required here.
A good pattern to remember is:
- antes de + infinitive = before doing
- depois de + infinitive = after doing
Examples:
- Antes de sair, feche a porta. = Before leaving, close the door.
- Depois de chegar, me liga. = After arriving, call me.
Why is it entrar na universidade? Why na?