Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Depois de correr, sinto muita sede e bebo dois copos de água. - After running, I feel very thirsty and drink two glasses of water.

In Portuguese, when you use a preposition (in this case depois de, which literally means “after of”), the verb that follows must be in the infinitive form. You cannot use a conjugated form or a gerund there. So you say depois de correr (“after running”) rather than depois de corri or depois de correndo.

Could I use após correr instead of depois de correr?

Yes. Após is a synonym of depois de, but you never add de after após. Both sentences are correct:
• Depois de correr, sinto muita sede.
• Após correr, sinto muita sede.

What’s the difference between depois de correr and depois de ter corrido?

• Depois de correr uses the simple infinitive and is very common in spoken and written Portuguese to indicate that one action follows another almost immediately.
• Depois de ter corrido uses the perfect infinitive (ter corrido) to emphasize that the running was fully completed before the next action. It’s more formal or precise, but in everyday speech you’ll usually hear just depois de correr.

What does sinto muita sede mean, and why “muita” not “muito”?

Sede is a feminine noun meaning “thirst.” Adjectives and determiners must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Since sede is feminine singular, you use muita (feminine) rather than muito (masculine).

Could I say estou com muita sede instead of sinto muita sede?

Yes, both are correct and common.
• Sinto muita sede = “I feel very thirsty.”
• Estou com muita sede = “I am very thirsty.”
The second is a bit more colloquial, but there’s no real difference in meaning.

What tense are sinto and bebo?

Both verbs are in the present indicative, first person singular:
• sinto = I feel
• bebo = I drink

Why is there a comma after correr?

When you start a sentence with an adverbial clause (here Depois de correr), Portuguese normally separates it from the main clause with a comma. It makes the sentence clearer but isn’t absolutely required in very short phrases.

Why is it dois copos de água and not dois copos de águas?

Água is treated as a mass (uncountable) noun here. When you specify an amount or container of a mass noun, it stays in the singular: “two glasses of water.” The structure is copos de água.

Can I add the definite article and say bebo os dois copos de água?

Yes. Adding os makes it clear you’re talking about two specific glasses of water (for example, the ones on the table). Without os, it’s a general statement: you drink two glasses of water, period.

Is there any pronunciation tip for sinto and bebo?

• In Portugal, the -o endings in sinto and bebo are pronounced more like /u/ than the English /oʊ/.
• The initial s in sinto is unvoiced (/s/), so it sounds like “seen-too.”
• The b in bebo is a soft /b/, almost like a voiced /v/ if you’re used to English.