Breakdown of Eles disseram que a impressora não está a funcionar, por isso a sala está vazia.
estar
to be
eles
they
não
not
a sala
the room
que
that
vazio
empty
dizer
to say
a impressora
the printer
funcionar
to function
por isso
so
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Questions & Answers about Eles disseram que a impressora não está a funcionar, por isso a sala está vazia.
What does "disseram" mean, and how is it used in this sentence?
"Disseram" is the third-person plural preterite (past tense) form of the verb "dizer", meaning "to say." In the sentence, "eles disseram" translates as "they said," indicating that a group of people communicated the information that follows.
What does the phrase "não está a funcionar" mean, and why is it formed that way?
"Não está a funcionar" means "is not working" and is used to describe a temporary, ongoing state. In European Portuguese, the structure "estar a + infinitive" is common for expressing actions in progress. This construction emphasizes that the printer is currently malfunctioning rather than stating a general or permanent condition—which might be conveyed with "não funciona."
Why is "que" used after "disseram" in the sentence, and is this similar to English usage?
The word "que" functions as a conjunction (or complementizer) that introduces the subordinate clause. It is equivalent to the English "that" in the sentence "They said that the printer is not working." While English speakers can often drop "that," in Portuguese the use of "que" is typically necessary to properly link reported speech with its content.
What role does "por isso" play in the sentence?
"Por isso" means "therefore" or "that's why." It connects the two parts of the sentence by showing a cause-and-effect relationship: the malfunctioning printer is the cause, and the resulting emptiness of the room is the effect. It explains why the situation in the second clause has occurred.
Why is the adjective "vazia" used to describe "a sala" instead of "vazio"?
In Portuguese, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe. Since "sala" (room) is a feminine noun, the adjective also takes the feminine form. Thus, "vazio" (masculine) changes to "vazia" (feminine) to ensure proper agreement.
How might this sentence differ in Brazilian Portuguese?
In Brazilian Portuguese, the expression of the ongoing state is typically different. Instead of using "não está a funcionar," Brazilians would more commonly say "não está funcionando." Most of the vocabulary and overall structure remain similar, but differences like this in verb construction are a common distinction between European and Brazilian Portuguese.