Antes do jantar, passo a escova pelo cabelo e lavo as mãos.

Before dinner, I run the brush through my hair and wash my hands.

Breakdown of Antes do jantar, passo a escova pelo cabelo e lavo as mãos.

• eu: I
• o jantar: the dinner
• e: and
• antes de: before
• passar: to pass
• lavar: to wash
• por: through
• a mão: the hand
• a escova: the brush
• o cabelo: the hair

Questions & Answers about Antes do jantar, passo a escova pelo cabelo e lavo as mãos.

What does passo a escova pelo cabelo literally mean, and how is it different from saying escovo o cabelo?

Literally, passo a escova pelo cabelo means “I pass the brush through my hair.”

• passo = “I pass”
• a escova = “the brush”
• pelo cabelo = “through the hair” (see next question for pelo)

By contrast, escovo o cabelo uses the verb escovar (“to brush”), so it means “I brush my hair.”

• passar a escova pelo cabelo focuses on the action of moving the brush through the hair, often emphasizing the instrument.
• escovar o cabelo is more direct, treating brushing as a single action. Both are correct and commonly heard in Portugal.

Why is it antes do jantar with do, and could I say antes de jantar instead?

• antes do jantar = “before dinner,” where do is the contraction of de + o (the definite article).
• Using antes de jantar (“before having dinner”) is also acceptable and very common, especially in spoken Portuguese.

Nuance:
• antes do jantar often refers to a specific meal (e.g., “the dinner we always have at 8 pm”).
• antes de jantar is more general and slightly more abstract (“before eating dinner”).

What’s happening in pelo cabelo?

pelo is a contraction of por + o.

• por here means “through” or “over.”
• o cabelo = “the hair.”

So pelo cabelo = “through the hair” or “over the hair,” depending on context.

Why do we say lavo as mãos and not just lavo mãos?

Portuguese normally uses the definite article with body parts:

• lavo as mãos = “I wash (the) hands” = “I wash my hands.”

Omitting the article (saying lavo mãos) sounds very unnatural. You could use a possessive instead: lavo as minhas mãos, but it’s redundant unless you’re contrasting (e.g., “I wash my hands, not yours”).

Could I use minhas mãos instead of as mãos?

Yes, lavo as minhas mãos is grammatically correct but less idiomatic, because the article already implies possession when talking about your own body.
• lavo as mãos is the most natural, everyday phrasing.

Can I rearrange the sentence and put antes do jantar at the end?

Absolutely. Both orders work:
• Antes do jantar, passo a escova pelo cabelo e lavo as mãos.
• Passo a escova pelo cabelo e lavo as mãos antes do jantar.

Putting antes do jantar at the beginning emphasizes the time frame; at the end, it sounds more neutral or conversational.

Is the simple present tense appropriate here, or could I use another tense or form?

The simple present (passo, lavo) describes habitual or routine actions, which fits well if you do this every evening.
Alternatives:

• Present continuous (European Portuguese less often uses it): estou a passar a escova… e a lavar as mãos (more formal or highlighting the action in progress).
• Near future: vou passar a escova… e vou lavar as mãos (if you mean “I’m going to brush…” immediately).

But for routines, the simple present is both correct and most natural.