Breakdown of Ela está tão cansada que precisa de se deitar assim que chegar a casa.
ela
she
a casa
the house
estar
to be
cansado
tired
precisar de
to need
chegar
to arrive
que
that
tão
so
deitar-se
to lie down
assim que
as soon as
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Questions & Answers about Ela está tão cansada que precisa de se deitar assim que chegar a casa.
Why is the sentence using the “tão… que” construction, and what does it mean?
The phrase “tão cansada” means “so tired.” The construction “tão… que” is used to express cause and effect. In this sentence, her extreme tiredness leads to the result that she needs to lie down immediately when she gets home.
What does “precisa de se deitar” mean, and why is it structured in that way?
“Precisa de se deitar” translates to “needs to lie down.” In European Portuguese, the verb “precisar” when expressing necessity is commonly followed by the preposition “de” plus an infinitive. Since the verb “deitar” is reflexive here, it includes the pronoun “se.” The construction follows the rule where the reflexive pronoun is placed before the infinitive when it is preceded by a preposition.
Why is the reflexive pronoun “se” placed before “deitar” instead of being attached to the end of it?
In European Portuguese, when an infinitive is preceded by a preposition (here, “de”), the appropriate positioning of the reflexive pronoun is before the verb. Attaching it to the end would break the standard word order, so “se” is placed before “deitar” to maintain clarity and correctness.
What does “assim que” mean, and how is it used in this sentence?
“Assim que” means “as soon as.” It is a temporal conjunction indicating that the action of lying down will occur immediately after she gets home. Even though the action is in the future, using the present tense in the subordinate clause is standard in Portuguese for actions that are seen as imminent.
Why is the present tense used in “chegar a casa” even though it refers to a future event?
In Portuguese, it is common to use the present indicative in subordinate clauses for future events—especially when introduced by temporal expressions like “assim que.” This usage conveys immediacy and indicates that the event (her arriving home) is imminent relative to the main clause.
Why is the subject omitted in the clause “assim que chegar a casa”?
The subject is omitted because it is already clear from the context. The main clause mentions “ela”, so in the subordinate clause the subject is understood. Portuguese often allows subject omission when the referent is obvious, which helps avoid unnecessary repetition.
Are there any differences between European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese in how this sentence is constructed, particularly regarding “precisa de se deitar”?
Yes, there are regional differences. In European Portuguese, the construction “precisa de se deitar” (with the preposition “de”) is standard. In Brazilian Portuguese, speakers may omit the “de” and say something like “precisa se deitar” or use a slightly different structure. This difference is one of the subtle variations between the dialects.