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Tive de despender muito tempo a ler aquele relatório complicado.

Tive de despender muito tempo a ler aquele relatório complicado.
I had to spend a lot of time reading that complicated report.
FromLesson 14inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of Tive de despender muito tempo a ler aquele relatório complicado.

ler
to read
o tempo
the time
muito
much
ter de
to have to
o relatório
the report
complicado
complicated
aquele
that

Questions & Answers about Tive de despender muito tempo a ler aquele relatório complicado.

What does the phrase Tive de mean in this sentence?
Tive de is the past tense form of the construction ter de, which means "to have to." In this sentence, it expresses that the speaker was obliged or required to do something—in this case, spending time reading a report.
How does Tive de compare with Tive que?
Both Tive de and Tive que indicate obligation in the past ("had to"). The difference is regional: Tive de is more commonly used in European Portuguese, while Tive que is typical in Brazilian Portuguese. Despite this, they convey the same meaning.
What is the meaning of the verb despender, and how does it differ from a more common verb like gastar?
Despender means "to spend" (time, money, energy, etc.), but it tends to have a slightly more formal or precise register compared to gastar. In this sentence, it emphasizes the allocation or expenditure of a significant amount of time, adding a formal tone to the statement.
Why is the preposition a used before the infinitive ler?
In European Portuguese, it is common to use the preposition a before an infinitive after expressions that refer to spending time or effort. Here, a ler translates to "reading," indicating the specific activity during which the time was expended. This construction contrasts with the Brazilian tendency to use the gerund (e.g., lendo).
What role does muito tempo play in the sentence?
Muito tempo means "a lot of time" and functions as an adverbial phrase modifying despender. It emphasizes the duration or extent of the time expended on the activity, highlighting that the report was not only complicated but also required a considerable amount of attention.
Could the infinitive ler be replaced by its gerund form lendo here?
While in Brazilian Portuguese it is quite common to use the gerund form (e.g., lendo) after verbs like gastar when talking about spending time, European Portuguese typically favors the structure with a followed by the infinitive (i.e., a ler). Both forms are correct within their regional norms, but the sentence as given adheres to European usage.
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