Breakdown of Eu distraio-me quando ouço música.
eu
I
quando
when
ouvir
to listen
a música
the music
distrair-se
to get distracted
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Questions & Answers about Eu distraio-me quando ouço música.
Why is the reflexive pronoun used in the sentence "Eu distraio-me quando ouço música"?
The reflexive pronoun me in "distraio-me" indicates that the action is performed on the subject itself. In other words, it expresses that I distract myself, showing that the subject (Eu) receives the action.
Why is the reflexive pronoun attached to the end of the verb as in "distraio‐me" instead of before the verb?
In European Portuguese, when the verb is in an affirmative, declarative sentence without any words that force the pronoun to come before (a situation known as proclisis), the reflexive pronoun is typically attached to the end of the verb (enclisis). That’s why you see "distraio‐me" rather than "me distraio."
Can the pronoun be placed before the verb? For example, is "Eu me distraio quando ouço música" acceptable?
Yes, placing the pronoun before the verb (proclisis) as in "Eu me distraio quando ouço música" is also acceptable. However, in formal written European Portuguese, the enclitic form ("distraio‐me") is more common when no other rules require the pronoun to be placed before the verb.
What role does the word quando play in this sentence?
Quando means "when" in English and functions as a conjunction that links the two parts of the sentence. It introduces the clause ouço música, providing the condition or time frame during which the action of distracting oneself occurs.
What verb tenses are used in the sentence, and what do they tell us about the action?
Both verbs in the sentence—distraio (from "distraio‐me") and ouço—are in the first person singular of the present indicative. This tense indicates actions that are habitual, general truths, or happening in the present. So, the sentence tells us that the speaker regularly (or generally) gets distracted when listening to music.