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Vou buscar a vassoura para limpar o chão.

Vou buscar a vassoura para limpar o chão.
I am going to fetch the broom to clean the floor.
FromLesson 27inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of Vou buscar a vassoura para limpar o chão.

eu
I
ir
to go
limpar
to clean
para
to
o chão
the floor
buscar
to fetch
a vassoura
the broom

Questions & Answers about Vou buscar a vassoura para limpar o chão.

Why is the subject pronoun eu missing before vou buscar?
In Portuguese you usually drop the subject pronoun because the verb ending already tells you who is doing the action. vou clearly means “I go,” so adding eu is optional and often omitted in everyday speech.
What tense is vou buscar, and how do we translate it?
vou buscar is the present tense of the verb ir plus an infinitive, forming the periphrastic future, which expresses a near-future action. You can translate it as “I’m going to get/fetch.”
Why is the infinitive buscar used after vou?
In Portuguese, when you use ir (to go) in the present tense followed by another verb, that second verb stays in the infinitive. This structure (ir + infinitive) indicates a planned or imminent action.
Why do we use the definite article a before vassoura? Why not uma vassoura?
Portuguese often uses the definite article before household objects to talk about a specific, known item in the context. Saying a vassoura implies “the broom (we need)” whereas uma vassoura would imply “any broom.”
What does para express in para limpar o chão?
para + infinitive expresses purpose (“in order to”). So para limpar o chão means “to clean the floor.”
Can we say pra limpar instead of para limpar?
Yes, in informal spoken Portuguese people often contract para to pra. However, in writing or formal situations, para is preferred.
What gender is vassoura, and how does that affect its article?
Vassoura is feminine, so it takes the feminine singular article a. If it were masculine, you would use o.
Why is chão masculine, and why do we say o chão?
Chão (floor) is a masculine noun in Portuguese, so it takes the masculine singular definite article o. Gender is mostly arbitrary and needs to be memorized.
How do you pronounce chão, and what does the tilde (~) do?
Chão is pronounced like [ʃɐ̃w̃] (“shão”). The tilde (~) over ã indicates a nasal vowel, so you pronounce it with airflow through the nose.
Could we use a different verb like apanhar or pegar instead of buscar?
In Portugal, buscar is the most common for “fetch.” Apanhar or pegar are used more in Brazilian Portuguese (e.g. vou pegar a vassoura). In Portugal apanhar often means “to catch” (like a ball or a bus).
Can we change the sentence order to Para limpar o chão, vou buscar a vassoura?
Yes, you can start with the purpose clause for emphasis. Both versions mean the same, but placing para limpar o chão first can sound more formal or highlight the purpose.
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