Breakdown of Eu ainda não terminei o relatório.
eu
I
terminar
to finish
não
not
o relatório
the report
ainda
yet
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Questions & Answers about Eu ainda não terminei o relatório.
What is the literal translation of Eu ainda não terminei o relatório?
It translates to I haven’t finished the report yet. This sentence explicitly tells you that the report remains incomplete up to the present moment.
What does the adverb ainda mean, and what role does it play in this sentence?
Ainda means still or yet. In this context, it emphasizes that the action (finishing the report) has not occurred so far, implying that it is expected to be completed later.
Why is the negation não placed immediately after ainda?
In Portuguese, the typical order for expressing not yet is to use ainda não. This sequence clearly indicates that the action remains pending, and deviating from this order might change or obscure the intended meaning.
Although terminei is the preterite (simple past) form of terminar, how does it convey an action that is still pending?
Even though terminei is in the past form, when combined with ainda não it functions to express that the action has not been completed up to now. In European Portuguese, it’s common to use this construction to indicate that, while the form looks past-oriented, the intended meaning is I haven’t finished yet.
Why is the definite article o used before relatório?
The article o is used because relatório is a masculine noun referring to a specific report that both the speaker and listener likely know about. In Portuguese, definite articles are typically used to signal that the noun in question is identifiable.
Is it acceptable to rearrange the word order, for example saying Eu não terminei ainda o relatório?
No, that arrangement is not standard. The idiomatic and grammatically correct structure in Portuguese is Eu ainda não terminei o relatório. Changing the order disrupts the natural flow of adverbs in the sentence and might sound awkward or non-native.