Breakdown of Precisei de consertar a camisola, pois descosi um dos botões sem querer.
um
a
de
of
precisar de
to need
pois
because
a camisola
the sweater
o botão
the button
sem querer
unintentionally
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Questions & Answers about Precisei de consertar a camisola, pois descosi um dos botões sem querer.
What is the function of the preposition de in precisei de consertar a camisola?
In European Portuguese, the verb precisar often appears with the preposition de when followed by an infinitive. In this case, precisei de means I needed to, so the structure indicates that something required repairing.
What does consertar mean, and how is it used in this context?
Consertar means to repair or to fix. Here it indicates that the jumper needed repair—the garment was in a state that required mending, in contrast to simply tidying up or arranging it.
How should the word camisola be understood in this sentence?
In European Portuguese, camisola typically refers to a jumper or sweater. It is important for learners to note that in other varieties, like Brazilian Portuguese, camisola can mean a nightgown instead.
What is the meaning and grammatical structure of descosi in this sentence?
Descosi is the first-person singular simple past (pretérito perfeito) form of the verb descoser. It means I unstitched or I unsewed, indicating that the speaker accidentally undo the stitching of one of the buttons.
What role does the conjunction pois play in the sentence?
Pois functions as a conjunction meaning because or since. It links the reason to the result: the jumper had to be fixed because the speaker unintentionally unstitched a button.
How does the phrase sem querer contribute to the meaning of the sentence?
Sem querer translates to unintentionally or by accident. It clarifies that the action of unsewing the button was not deliberate, but rather a mistake that led to needing the repair.
Can you explain the overall sentence structure and how its parts relate to each other?
The sentence is divided into two parts connected by a cause-and-effect relationship. The first part, Precisei de consertar a camisola, states the necessity to repair the jumper. The second part, introduced by pois, provides the reason for this need—descosi um dos botões sem querer—meaning that the repair was required because the speaker accidentally unstitched one of the buttons.