Ele fechou a porta sem querer.

He closed the door unintentionally.

Breakdown of Ele fechou a porta sem querer.

• ele: he
• a porta: the door
• fechar: to close
• sem querer: unintentionally

Questions & Answers about Ele fechou a porta sem querer.

What does the phrase sem querer mean in this sentence?

Sem querer literally translates as "without wanting," but its common use in this context means "accidentally" or "unintentionally." It indicates that the action of closing the door was not done on purpose.

Why is fechou used, and what tense is it in?

Fechou is the third person singular form of the verb fechar, which means "to close." It is in the pretérito perfeito (simple past) tense, showing that the action of closing the door happened and was completed in the past.

What role does a porta play in the sentence?

A porta is the direct object in the sentence, referring to "the door." It receives the action performed by the subject ele.

Why is the subject ele explicitly stated when Portuguese verbs can suggest the subject through conjugation?

While it's true that Portuguese often omits subject pronouns because the verb conjugation usually indicates the subject, including ele adds clarity. For learners, it reinforces who is performing the action—"he" closed the door.

Can sem querer be replaced with another expression in Portuguese, and if so, which ones?

Yes, sem querer can be replaced with acidentalmente, which also means "accidentally." However, sem querer is a common colloquial expression used in everyday language to indicate that an action occurred without intention.