Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Ontem tentei assar peixe, mas ficou demasiado assado por distração. - Yesterday I tried to roast fish, but it ended up too roasted because I got distracted.

Assar is the infinitive form meaning "to roast" (the action), while assado is used as an adjective (or past participle) to describe the state of the fish after being cooked. In English, this is similar to saying "roast" and then "roasted" to indicate both the attempt and the resulting condition.

What does demasiado mean, and how does it modify assado?

Demasiado means "too" or "excessively." In the sentence, it intensifies assado, indicating that the fish was cooked to an excessive degree—essentially, it was overcooked.

How does the phrase por distração function in the sentence?

Por distração translates to "due to distraction" or "by distraction." It explains the reason for the outcome, clarifying that the fish ended up overcooked because the cook was distracted during the process.

What is the purpose of ontem at the beginning of the sentence?

Ontem means "yesterday." It serves as a time marker, letting the reader know when the action took place. This is similar to starting a sentence in English with "Yesterday" to set the context of time.

Why isn’t the subject repeated in the second clause with ficou demasiado assado por distração?

In Portuguese, it’s common to omit a subject if it is clear from the context. In this case, peixe (fish) is mentioned in the first clause and is understood to be the subject in the second clause, where it "turned out" overcooked.

Why is the verb ficou used here instead of another verb like estava?

Ficou is the past form of ficar, meaning "to become" or "to turn out." Here, it effectively links the cause (the attempt and ensuing distraction) to the result (the fish being overcooked). It emphasizes the change in state, similar to saying in English, "it ended up being overcooked."