Questions & Answers about Após o trabalho, vou para casa.
Why is eu missing before vou?
In Portuguese, subject pronouns are often omitted when the verb form already makes the subject clear.
- vou = I go / I’m going
- So (eu) vou para casa is perfectly natural.
You can include eu for emphasis or contrast:
- Eu vou para casa, mas ela fica no trabalho.
= I’m going home, but she’s staying at work.
What does após mean, and is it common in everyday Brazilian Portuguese?
Após means after.
It is correct and natural, but it sounds a little more formal or written than what many Brazilians say in casual conversation. In everyday speech, you will very often hear:
- Depois do trabalho, vou para casa.
Both mean the same thing here. A good rule of thumb:
- após → slightly more formal, common in writing
- depois de → very common in everyday speech
Why is it o trabalho and not just trabalho?
Portuguese uses definite articles much more often than English does.
So após o trabalho literally looks like after the work, but in natural English it is simply after work.
This is very normal in Portuguese:
- antes do almoço = before lunch
- depois da aula = after class
- após o trabalho = after work