Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): O senhor vai descansar depois de ler o livro. - The gentleman will rest after reading the book.

O senhor is a formal and respectful way to address someone, particularly an older person or someone to whom you want to show deference. In Portugal, using o senhor instead of the informal você (or tu in some regions) conveys politeness and respect. This form is common in formal situations or when addressing someone you don't know very well.

Why is vai descansar used instead of the simple future form descansará?

The phrase vai descansar is an example of the periphrastic future, which uses the present tense of ir (here, vai) followed by an infinitive (descansar) to indicate a future action. While the simple future (descansará) is grammatically correct, the construction with ir + infinitive is more common in spoken Portuguese because it sounds more natural and is easier to use in everyday conversation.

Why is the infinitive ler used after depois de?

In Portuguese, when a verb follows a prepositional phrase like depois de (meaning "after"), it must be in the infinitive form. Therefore, instead of conjugating ler (to read) to match the subject, it remains in its base form. This structure is used to express that one action (reading) will be completed before another (resting) takes place.

Can you explain the overall sentence structure and how the different parts interact?

Certainly! The sentence is structured in two parts that express sequential actions:

O senhor vai descansar: This segment establishes the subject (o senhor) and uses the periphrastic future (vai descansar) to indicate that the action of resting will occur in the near future.
depois de ler o livro: This segment serves as a time modifier, using depois de to show that the resting will happen after another action—reading (ler) the book—has been completed.
Together, the sentence tells us that after the book is read, the person will take some time to rest.