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Questions & Answers about Eu vou grelhar frango hoje.
What does the verb grelhar mean, and why is it in its infinitive form in this sentence?
Grelhar translates to "to grill" in English. It appears in the infinitive form following the auxiliary "vou" because Portuguese uses the "ir + [infinitive]" construction to express a future intention—similar to the "going to" future in English.
Why is the auxiliary verb vou used, and what does it indicate about the action?
Vou is the first person singular of "ir" in the present indicative. When it’s combined with an infinitive like grelhar, it forms a near future construction. This is equivalent to saying "I am going to..." in English, indicating that the speaker intends to perform the action in the near future.
What does frango mean in this context, and why is there no article before it?
Frango means "chicken" in English. In Portuguese, it’s common to omit the article when referring to certain food items in a general sense—much like saying "grill chicken" in English instead of "grill the chicken."
Why is hoje placed at the end of the sentence, and does its position affect the meaning?
Hoje means "today" and functions as an adverb of time. While Portuguese allows some flexibility in word order, placing hoje at the end of the sentence is typical and clearly emphasizes that the action is intended to happen today.
Can you break down the overall structure of the sentence?
Certainly! The sentence is structured as follows:
- Eu: Subject (I)
- vou: Auxiliary verb indicating future intention
- grelhar: Main verb in the infinitive (to grill)
- frango: Direct object (chicken)
- hoje: Adverb of time (today)
This mirrors the English construction "I am going to grill chicken today," making it easier to see the parallels between the two languages.