Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Pode ser prejudicial estudar sem pausas, porque o cérebro precisa de descansar. - It can be harmful to study without breaks, because the brain needs to rest.

In Portuguese, it’s common to use an infinitive to refer to an action as a general concept. Here, estudar functions as the subject of the statement, meaning that the act of studying without breaks is being described as potentially harmful.

Why is there a de in precisa de descansar instead of simply precisa descansar?

In European Portuguese, the verb precisar is often constructed with de when it is followed by an infinitive that expresses the need to perform an action. Thus, precisa de descansar correctly means “needs to rest.”

What does the word pausas mean in this context?

Pausas translates to “breaks” in English. The sentence advises against studying continuously without breaks, implying that breaks enable the brain to rest.

Why is the definite article o used in o cérebro when referring to the brain in general?

Portuguese typically uses the definite article when mentioning general concepts. In this case, o cérebro means “the brain” as a general entity rather than specifying one particular brain.

How does the phrase pode ser prejudicial convey possibility in the sentence?

The construction pode ser prejudicial literally means “can be harmful.” It suggests that studying without breaks might be harmful, indicating a possibility rather than stating it as an absolute fact.

Why is there a comma before porque in the sentence?

The comma is used to separate the main clause, which states that studying without breaks may be harmful, from the subordinate clause introduced by porque, which gives the reason—namely, that the brain needs to rest. This punctuation helps clarify the cause-and-effect relationship in the sentence.