Breakdown of Mesmo com um contratempo, conseguimos terminar o projeto a horas.
um
a
terminar
to finish
o projeto
the project
com
with
conseguir
to manage
a hora
the hour
mesmo
even
o contratempo
the setback
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Questions & Answers about Mesmo com um contratempo, conseguimos terminar o projeto a horas.
What does the phrase "Mesmo com" mean in this sentence?
It functions similarly to "even with" or "despite". It introduces a contrast by indicating that something happened regardless of the negative circumstance that follows.
What is um contratempo and how does it affect the sentence?
Um contratempo means "a setback," "an unexpected delay," or "an unforeseen problem." It implies that although something went wrong or caused a delay, it did not prevent the project's completion.
Which tense is conseguimos in, and what does that tell us about the action?
Conseguimos is in the simple past (preterite) tense for the first-person plural. This tells us that the action—managing to finish the project—has already been completed.
How should we understand the phrase a horas in this context?
A horas means "on time" or "just in time". It emphasizes that the project was completed within the scheduled deadline despite the setback mentioned earlier.
How does the structure of this sentence express a contrast between difficulty and success?
The sentence starts with an adverbial clause ("Mesmo com um contratempo") that outlines an obstacle. The main clause ("conseguimos terminar o projeto a horas") follows by showing that the project was successfully completed despite that obstacle. This structure clearly contrasts the challenge with the successful outcome.
Why is there no explicit subject pronoun like "we" before conseguimos?
Portuguese is a pro-drop language, meaning that subject pronouns can be omitted because the verb conjugation already indicates the subject. In conseguimos, the ending -mos clearly shows that the subject is "we", making it unnecessary to state it explicitly.
Is there any difference between using a horas and a tempo for expressing punctuality?
In European Portuguese, "a horas" is the preferred expression for meaning "on time", whereas "a tempo" might be more common in other varieties of Portuguese. Both can express punctuality, but "a horas" is typical in Portugal, contributing to the regional flavor of the sentence.