Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): A cozinha ficou vazia depois de todos terminarem o jantar. - The kitchen became empty after everyone finished dinner.

Ficou is the past tense of the verb ficar, which in this context means “became”. It indicates that the kitchen underwent a change of state—transforming into being empty after the event described.

Why is terminarem in the future subjunctive form instead of the simple past indicative (like terminaram)?

In Portuguese, temporal clauses introduced by expressions such as depois de traditionally require the future subjunctive when referring to an action that was pending relative to the moment of reference. Although both events occurred in the past, when the main clause was formed the finishing of dinner was seen as an action yet to be completed, which is why terminarem is used rather than the past indicative.

How does the phrase depois de function in this sentence?

Depois de is a temporal conjunction meaning “after”. It introduces the subordinate clause todos terminarem o jantar, setting up a sequence in which the kitchen became empty only once everyone had finished dinner.

What is the role of todos in the sentence?

Todos means “everyone” and serves as the subject of the subordinate clause terminarem o jantar. It emphasizes that the action of finishing dinner involved every person, which is the condition that preceded the kitchen becoming empty.

Why is cozinha preceded by a, and what does this reveal about its usage in Portuguese?

Cozinha is a feminine noun in Portuguese, meaning “kitchen”. The definite article a matches the noun in gender, so a cozinha translates to “the kitchen”. This agreement between article and noun is a key feature of Portuguese grammar.

Could the subordinate clause use the indicative mood (e.g., terminaram) instead of the future subjunctive form terminarem?

While some speakers in informal contexts might say terminaram, standard Portuguese grammar—especially in formal or written contexts—uses the future subjunctive form (terminarem) after temporal expressions like depois de when referring to an action that was pending at the time of the main clause. This form precisely marks the temporal relationship between the events.