Breakdown of Amanhã vou ensinar o meu primo a fazer sopa de legumes.
meu
my
de
of
ir
to go
amanhã
tomorrow
a sopa
the soup
fazer
to make
o legume
the vegetable
ensinar
to teach
o primo
the cousin
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Questions & Answers about Amanhã vou ensinar o meu primo a fazer sopa de legumes.
What does Amanhã mean, and why is it placed at the beginning of the sentence?
Amanhã means tomorrow. Placing it at the beginning of the sentence functions as a time adverb, indicating when the action will take place.
Why is vou ensinar used to express a future action instead of employing the simple future tense (like ensinarei)?
Portuguese often uses the ir + infinitive construction to denote planned or near-future actions. In this case, vou ensinar (literally, “I am going to teach”) is more common and colloquial than the formal future tense ensinarei.
Why is the preposition a included before fazer in the phrase a fazer sopa de legumes?
In Portuguese, when one verb is followed by another in the infinitive—especially in constructions like ensinar alguém a fazer algo—the preposition a is required to link the two. It clarifies the structure, meaning “teach someone to do something.”
Why does the sentence use o meu primo instead of just meu primo?
In European Portuguese, it is customary to use the definite article with possessive adjectives when referring to family members. Saying o meu primo (instead of simply meu primo) is the natural form in Portugal, even if English might omit the article.
Is it acceptable to omit the subject pronoun eu in this sentence, and why?
Yes, it is perfectly acceptable. Portuguese is a pro-drop language, meaning that the subject pronoun is often omitted because the conjugated verb (in this case, vou, which is first person singular) clearly indicates the subject.
What exactly does sopa de legumes refer to in this context?
Sopa de legumes literally means “soup of vegetables” or “vegetable soup.” It tells us that the soup is made primarily from a mix of vegetables.