Breakdown of Enquanto esperávamos que o semáforo mudasse, o vendedor de rua contou uma piada divertida.
de
of
nós
we
esperar
to wait
uma
a
que
that
enquanto
while
a rua
the street
mudar
to change
o semáforo
the traffic light
o vendedor
the vendor
contar
to tell
a piada
the joke
divertido
funny
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Portuguese grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Enquanto esperávamos que o semáforo mudasse, o vendedor de rua contou uma piada divertida.
What is the function of enquanto here, and how does it differ from quando?
- enquanto translates as while. It introduces two actions that happen simultaneously and emphasizes their ongoing nature.
- quando translates as when. It typically refers to a specific point in time or marks the moment one action follows another, without necessarily stressing parallel duration.
Why is the verb mudasse in the imperfect subjunctive rather than the past indicative mudou?
- The main clause uses esperávamos, an imperfect tense expressing expectation in the past.
- Verbs like esperar que trigger the subjunctive mood in subordinate clauses.
- Because the main verb is in the imperfect, the subordinate verb must be in the imperfect subjunctive (mudasse), not the indicative (mudou).
Could we use the present subjunctive mude instead of mudasse?
No. Portuguese follows a sequence of tenses rule:
- Main verb in the past → subordinate in imperfect subjunctive.
- Main verb in the present → subordinate in present subjunctive.
Since esperávamos is past, you must use mudasse.
Why is que necessary before o semáforo mudasse? Can it be omitted?
Verbs like esperar when they introduce another verb require the conjunction que plus the subjunctive. You cannot directly attach mudasse (or any verb) without que in this structure.
What does vendedor de rua literally mean, and are there synonyms in European Portuguese?
- Literal translation: street vendor.
- A common synonym in Portugal is vendedor ambulante, both referring to someone who sells goods while walking or standing on public streets.
Why is there an indefinite article uma before piada divertida? Can it be omitted?
- Portuguese generally uses indefinite articles more often than English.
- contou uma piada divertida means he told one particular amusing joke.
- If you omit it (contou piada divertida), it sounds awkward; to talk about jokes in general you would use the plural (contou piadas divertidas).
What is the nuance between calling it a piada divertida versus a piada engraçada?
- engraçada (“funny”) highlights that the joke made people laugh.
- divertida (“entertaining” or “amusing”) stresses that it was enjoyable overall.
In many contexts they overlap, but engraçada is the more direct choice for humor.
Why is the adjective divertida placed after the noun piada? Could it come before?
- Standard Portuguese order puts descriptive adjectives after the noun: piada divertida.
- Placing it before (divertida piada) is grammatical but sounds poetic or emphatic rather than neutral.
Could we move the subordinate clause enquanto esperávamos que o semáforo mudasse to the end of the sentence?
Yes. Portuguese allows flexible word order:
O vendedor de rua contou uma piada divertida enquanto esperávamos que o semáforo mudasse.
The meaning remains the same; starting with the subordinate clause simply gives the setting first.
Instead of esperávamos que o semáforo mudasse, could we say esperávamos o semáforo mudar or use esperar por?
- esperar que + subjunctive is the correct pattern when the subordinate clause has a different subject.
- esperar por takes a noun: esperávamos pela mudança do semáforo (“we were waiting for the traffic light to change”).
- esperar + infinitive only works when the subject is the same in both clauses (e.g. esperávamos atravessar).