Breakdown of O pai do Pedro acaba de ferver água para preparar mais sopa.
Pedro
Pedro
a água
the water
de
of
mais
more
o pai
the father
para
to
a sopa
the soup
acabar de
to have just
ferver
to boil
preparar
to prepare
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Questions & Answers about O pai do Pedro acaba de ferver água para preparar mais sopa.
What does the phrase acaba de signify in this sentence?
It indicates a recently completed action. In Portuguese, using acaba de followed by an infinitive means that the action has just been finished. So, O pai do Pedro acaba de ferver água translates to Pedro’s father has just boiled water.
How should O pai do Pedro be understood and translated?
It literally means the father of Pedro. In Portuguese, possession is often expressed by placing the definite article with the noun (o pai) followed by do Pedro, which is a contraction of de + o Pedro. In English, this is commonly rendered as Pedro’s father.
Why is água used without a definite article in ferver água?
Similar to English, when referring to substances in a general sense (like water in cooking), Portuguese can omit the article. Just as we say boil water in English, ferver água is used to indicate boiling water in a generic, non-specific sense.
What is the function of para preparar mais sopa in the sentence?
This part of the sentence is an adverbial purpose clause. The word para means in order to or simply to, introducing the infinitive preparar (to prepare). It explains why the water was boiled—namely, in order to prepare more soup.
Why is mais sopa used instead of outra sopa?
The word mais translates to more, suggesting an additional quantity of soup is being made. This implies that the action aims to increase the amount of soup rather than serve as a substitute for a single, different instance, which outra (meaning another) might convey. It’s about having extra soup, not necessarily a completely separate dish.
How is the overall structure of the sentence organized in Portuguese compared to English?
The sentence follows a clear and logical order: • O pai do Pedro – the subject identifying who is performing the action. • acaba de – the construction indicating that the next action was just completed. • ferver água – the main verb phrase describing the action. • para preparar mais sopa – an adverbial clause explaining the purpose. This structure is quite parallel to the English translation Pedro's father has just boiled water to prepare more soup, making it relatively straightforward for English speakers to follow.