Antes da reunião, eu vou fazer uma pausa.

Because da is the contraction of de + a.

• de = of / from / before in many structures
• a = the feminine singular definite article the

So:

• de + a reunião → da reunião

This kind of contraction is extremely common in Portuguese:

• de + o → do
• de + a → da
• de + os → dos
• de + as → das

Since reunião is a feminine noun, it takes a, so antes da reunião is the correct form.

In Portuguese, antes is normally followed by de.

Examples:

• antes da reunião = before the meeting
• antes do almoço = before lunch
• antes de sair = before leaving

So the pattern is:

• antes de + noun
• antes de + infinitive

That is why antes da reunião is literally before the meeting.

Vou fazer is the very common near future structure in Portuguese:

• ir in the present tense + infinitive

Here:

• vou = I go / I am going
• fazer = to do / to make

Together, eu vou fazer means I am going to do.

So:

• eu vou fazer uma pausa = I’m going to take a break

This is one of the most natural ways to talk about the future in everyday Brazilian Portuguese.

Yes. Farei uma pausa is the simple future of fazer.

• vou fazer uma pausa = very common, conversational
• farei uma pausa = also correct, often a bit more formal, written, or deliberate

In spoken Brazilian Portuguese, vou fazer is usually more common.

Not always. Portuguese often drops subject pronouns when the verb already makes the subject clear.

So both are correct:

• Eu vou fazer uma pausa.
• Vou fazer uma pausa.

Why include eu?

• for emphasis
• for contrast
• for clarity in some contexts

In this sentence, eu is optional unless you want to stress I.

Because Portuguese usually uses an article in this expression.

The natural phrase is:

• fazer uma pausa = to take a break

Without the article, fazer pausa sounds unnatural in most everyday contexts.

This is similar to other set expressions where Portuguese prefers an article:

• dar uma olhada = take a look
• fazer uma pergunta = ask a question
• tomar uma decisão = make a decision

So uma pausa is the normal choice.

Because idioms do not always match word for word across languages.

Portuguese commonly uses fazer uma pausa, which literally looks like make/do a pause, but naturally means take a break.

Languages often package actions differently. A few examples:

• tomar banho = literally take bath, meaning take a shower/bath
• ter fome = literally have hunger, meaning be hungry
• fazer uma pausa = literally make/do a pause, meaning take a break

So this is a phrase you should learn as a chunk.

Yes. The word order is flexible.

Both are natural:

• Antes da reunião, eu vou fazer uma pausa.
• Eu vou fazer uma pausa antes da reunião.

The first version puts focus on the time frame before the meeting. The second starts with the subject and may sound slightly more neutral.

Also, when Antes da reunião comes at the beginning, the comma is standard and helpful.

Because Antes da reunião is an introductory time expression placed at the beginning of the sentence.

So this is natural punctuation:

• Antes da reunião, eu vou fazer uma pausa.

If the time expression comes later, you normally would not use that comma:

• Eu vou fazer uma pausa antes da reunião.

Yes, reunião is feminine:

• a reunião
• da reunião

You usually learn the gender together with the noun. Portuguese noun endings can give clues, but they are not always reliable enough by themselves.

For reunião, just memorize it as:

• a reunião = the meeting

That is why the contraction is da, not do.

A learner often notices two tricky things here:

1. -ão is nasal
2. The word has a glide in the middle: reu-ni-ão

A rough guide for Brazilian Portuguese is:

• reunião ≈ heh-oo-nee-AWN with a nasal ending

Important points:

• The stress is on the last syllable: -ÃO
• The final -ão is nasal, not a plain ow
• The r at the start in Brazilian Portuguese often sounds like an English h in many accents

You do not need a perfect accent right away, but the nasal ending matters a lot.

Yes, but they are not always used in exactly the same way.

• pausa = pause, break
• intervalo = interval, break, recess, intermission

In your sentence, fazer uma pausa sounds very natural for take a break.

Intervalo is also common, especially for:

• a break between classes
• halftime
• an intermission
• a scheduled break

Examples:

• Vou fazer uma pausa.
• Temos um intervalo de 15 minutos.

So pausa works very well here.

Yes, but the meaning changes slightly.

• antes da reunião = before the meeting
  
  • a specific meeting
• antes de uma reunião = before a meeting
  
  • any meeting / one meeting, not specifically identified

So if you already know which meeting you mean, antes da reunião is the natural choice.

It works in both Brazilian and European Portuguese.

The structure and vocabulary are standard:

• Antes da reunião
• eu vou fazer
• uma pausa

The main differences would be pronunciation and maybe style preferences in some situations, but the sentence itself is correct and natural in both varieties.