Breakdown of O engenheiro desenha a nova linha do metro com cuidado para não estragar o plano.
de
of
novo
new
desenhar
to draw
não
not
o plano
the plan
com cuidado
carefully
para
so as to
estragar
to ruin
o metro
the subway
a linha
the line
o engenheiro
the engineer
Questions & Answers about O engenheiro desenha a nova linha do metro com cuidado para não estragar o plano.
Why do we use O engenheiro instead of just Engenheiro? Can the article be omitted before professions in Portuguese?
In European Portuguese, it’s common to include the definite article before a profession or role.
What tense and person is desenha in, and how do you conjugate desenhar in the present indicative?
Desenha is the 3rd person singular of desenhar in the present indicative. It matches ele/ela/você.
Present indicative of desenhar:
- Eu desenho
- Tu desenhas
- Ele/ela/você desenha
- Nós desenhamos
- Vós desenhais
- Eles/elas/vocês desenham
Why is it a nova linha and not just nova linha? When do we keep the article with adjectives?
What’s the difference between metro and metropolitano? Why choose metro here?
Why do we say linha do metro instead of linha de metro?
What does com cuidado mean, and are there alternative ways to say “carefully” in Portuguese?
Why is the structure para não estragar o plano used? Could we use another form to express purpose and prevention?
Para não + infinitive expresses purpose: “in order not to…”
- para não estragar o plano = “so as not to ruin the plan.”
Alternative with subjunctive: - para que não estrague o plano (more formal, uses subjunctive estrague).
Both are correct, but para não + infinitive is more common in speech.
What does estragar o plano mean, and does estragar require a direct object?
Estragar means “to spoil,” “to ruin,” or “to damage.” It’s a transitive verb, so it usually takes a direct object without a preposition:
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