Breakdown of O passaporte foi esquecido no balcão, mas já foi encontrado pela segurança.
ser
to be
mas
but
em
in
encontrar
to find
já
already
por
by
esquecer
to forget
o passaporte
the passport
o balcão
the counter
a segurança
the security
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Questions & Answers about O passaporte foi esquecido no balcão, mas já foi encontrado pela segurança.
Why is foi esquecido used here? Is this a passive construction?
Yes. Foi esquecido is the passive voice of esquecer. It’s formed with the verb ser in the third-person singular (foi) plus the past participle (esquecido). The subject (o passaporte) receives the action, and the agent (who forgot it) is left unspecified.
What tense is foi esquecido?
It’s the pretérito perfeito simples (simple past) in the passive voice. It describes a completed action in the past.
Why do the past participles esquecido and encontrado end with -o?
They agree in gender (masculine) and number (singular) with o passaporte, which is a masculine singular noun.
What is the function of já in mas já foi encontrado?
Já means already. Placed before the auxiliary (foi), it indicates that the finding occurred before now, emphasizing that the passport is no longer lost.
Why is it no balcão instead of em o balcão?
No is the contracted form of em + o. Portuguese frequently merges prepositions with definite articles for simplicity.
What does pela segurança mean, and why is pela used?
Pela is the contraction of por + a. Here, segurança refers to the security staff or team. So pela segurança means by the security staff.
Could we rephrase this sentence in the active voice?
Yes. For example:
Esqueceram o passaporte no balcão, mas a segurança já o encontrou.
This version names the agents (implicitly “they forgot” and “the security found”).
What is the difference between foi esquecido and ficou esquecido?
- Foi esquecido (passive voice) highlights the action performed by someone.
- Ficou esquecido (verb ficar
- adjective) emphasizes the resulting state (“ended up forgotten”) without stressing who forgot it.
Why is mas used in the middle of the sentence, and what does it express?
Mas means but. It’s a coordinating conjunction that contrasts the two ideas: the passport was forgotten at the counter, but it has since been found.