Estou prestes a imprimir a última página, mas quero revisar a pontuação mais uma vez.

I am about to print the last page, but I want to review the punctuation one more time.

Breakdown of Estou prestes a imprimir a última página, mas quero revisar a pontuação mais uma vez.

• estar: to be
• querer: to want
• mas: but
• revisar: to review

Questions & Answers about Estou prestes a imprimir a última página, mas quero revisar a pontuação mais uma vez.

Why is it estou prestes a and not sou prestes a?

Because prestes a is used with estar, not ser.

• estar prestes a + infinitive = to be about to + verb
• So Estou prestes a imprimir means I’m about to print

This is a fixed expression in Portuguese. Using ser here would sound wrong.

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What exactly does prestes a mean?

Prestes a means on the verge of, just about to, or more naturally in English, about to.

So:

• Estou prestes a imprimir = I’m about to print
• It suggests the action will happen very soon, maybe immediately.

It is a bit more formal or polished than simply saying vou imprimir.

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Why is there an a before imprimir in prestes a imprimir?

Because the expression is estar prestes a + infinitive.

That a is required by the expression. It links prestes to the verb that follows.

Examples:

• Estou prestes a sair. = I’m about to leave.
• Ela está prestes a começar. = She is about to begin.

So in your sentence:

• estou prestes a imprimir = I’m about to print

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