Breakdown of Tens de encher o jarro novamente, porque a limonada acabou.
porque
because
encher
to fill
a limonada
the lemonade
ter de
to have to
o jarro
the pitcher
novamente
again
acabar
to finish
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Questions & Answers about Tens de encher o jarro novamente, porque a limonada acabou.
What does Tens de mean in English?
Tens de translates to "you have to" or "you must". It’s the informal second person singular form in European Portuguese, expressing obligation.
Why is the verb encher in its infinitive form after tens de?
In Portuguese, when expressing obligation with constructions like tens de (or ter de), the next verb is always in the infinitive form. Thus, encher (“to fill”) is used rather than a conjugated verb.
What does jarro refer to in this sentence?
Jarro means "jar" or "pitcher". In this sentence, it refers to a container that needs to be refilled with lemonade.
What does novamente indicate here?
Novamente means "again". It shows that the action of filling the jar is to be repeated because it has already been filled before but now needs to be refilled.
How does porque function in the sentence?
Porque translates to "because" and is used to introduce the reason for the action. Here, it explains that the jar must be refilled due to the fact that the lemonade has run out.
What does acabou mean in this context?
Acabou is the simple past form of acabar and means "ended" or "has run out". In this sentence, it indicates that the lemonade is finished.
Why is the subject not explicitly stated in the sentence?
In Portuguese, the subject pronoun is often omitted because the verb form already implies it. Here, tens clearly indicates that the subject is "tu" (you), so it isn’t necessary to state it explicitly.
Is there any difference between using tens de and tens que?
Both tens de and tens que can express obligation, but tens de is more commonly used in European Portuguese. While they are largely interchangeable, tens de is the standard form in this context.