Breakdown of O empregado está a limpar a loja agora.
estar
to be
agora
now
limpar
to clean
o empregado
the employee
a loja
the shop
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Questions & Answers about O empregado está a limpar a loja agora.
Why is it está a limpar instead of está limpando?
In European Portuguese, the present continuous is normally formed with estar + a + infinitive. Brazilian Portuguese more often uses the gerund (está limpando). Both mean “is cleaning,” but EP grammar favors estar a limpar.
What function does the a serve between está and limpar?
That a is a preposition required in EP’s continuous tense. It links the auxiliary estar to the main verb in the infinitive (limpar) to show an ongoing action.
Why do we say O empregado instead of just empregado?
Portuguese commonly uses definite articles before singular common nouns when referring to specific entities. O empregado literally means “the employee,” whereas dropping o would sound more like a job title or role in general.
Why is there an article a before loja?
Same rule as with o empregado. Portuguese typically requires a definite article (a) before a specific singular noun. A loja means “the store.”
Why isn’t there a preposition like em before loja (e.g., limpar em a loja)?
Limpar is a transitive verb that takes a direct object without a preposition. You simply say limpar a loja (“to clean the store”).
How flexible is the position of agora in the sentence?
Agora (“now”) is an adverb of time and can go at the start or end for emphasis. For example:
• Agora, o empregado está a limpar a loja.
• O empregado está a limpar a loja agora.
Can you omit agora since the continuous tense already indicates an ongoing action?
Yes. O empregado está a limpar a loja still conveys “The employee is cleaning the store.” Adding agora simply underlines that it’s happening right this moment.
Could we replace empregado with funcionário?
Absolutely. Funcionário is a synonym for “employee” (often more formal). So O funcionário está a limpar a loja agora is equally correct.
What verb form is limpar in, and why is it used here?
Limpar is the infinitive form. In EP, after estar a you always use the infinitive to build the continuous aspect.
What person and tense is está, and how does it relate to o empregado?
Está is the third person singular present indicative of estar, matching the singular subject o empregado (“the employee”).