Breakdown of Eu penso em descansar depois de estudar.
eu
I
descansar
to rest
estudar
to study
depois de
after
pensar em
to think about
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Questions & Answers about Eu penso em descansar depois de estudar.
Why is the preposition em used after the verb penso in the sentence Eu penso em descansar depois de estudar?
In Portuguese, when you use pensar to express thinking about or planning an action, it is typically followed by the preposition em. This structure, penso em descansar, indicates that you are considering the action of resting rather than simply stating a fact. It’s a set pattern that helps connect the thought with the intended activity.
Why is descansar in the infinitive form rather than being conjugated?
In Portuguese, when one verb follows another to express an intended action, the second verb remains in the infinitive form. Here, descansar is the action being considered, and it stays in the infinitive because it is the object of the preposition em following penso. This is similar to the English gerund form in expressions like “thinking of resting,” although Portuguese uses the infinitive instead.
What does the phrase depois de estudar indicate in this sentence?
The phrase depois de estudar is a time expression that means “after studying.” It tells us when the action of resting is intended to take place—namely, once the studying is finished. This ordering helps clearly establish the sequence of events.
Does the sentence imply that the studying has already taken place, or is it referring to a future plan?
The sentence expresses a future plan or intention. It implies that once you study, you plan on resting. It doesn't confirm that the studying has already occurred but instead sets up a sequence: study first, then rest.
Is the construction pensar em followed by an infinitive common in both European and Brazilian Portuguese?
Yes, this construction is standard in both European and Brazilian Portuguese. Whether in Europe or Brazil, when you want to express that you are considering an action, you use pensar em followed by the infinitive. Although there might be some stylistic differences in everyday speech, the grammatical structure remains the same.
How might the literal English translation differ from a more natural translation of the sentence?
A literal translation of Eu penso em descansar depois de estudar would be “I think of resting after studying.” A more natural translation in English, however, would be “I’m thinking of resting after studying” or “I plan to rest after studying.” This natural phrasing better captures the nuance of intention and the planned sequence of events conveyed in the original Portuguese sentence.