Breakdown of O Pedro anda a ensaiar no palco todas as tardes para a nova peça.
Pedro
Pedro
novo
new
em
in
para
for
todo
every
a tarde
the afternoon
andar a ensaiar
to be rehearsing
o palco
the stage
a peça
the play
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Questions & Answers about O Pedro anda a ensaiar no palco todas as tardes para a nova peça.
Why is there a definite article before Pedro?
In European Portuguese it’s very common to use the definite article before people’s names, especially in casual conversation. So O Pedro simply means “Pedro,” and sounds more natural in Portugal than just saying Pedro by itself.
What does anda a ensaiar mean?
The structure andar a + infinitive in EP expresses an ongoing or habitual action, similar to “he’s been rehearsing” or “he goes around rehearsing.” It highlights that this activity has been happening frequently or continuously over a period of time.
Could we use está a ensaiar instead of anda a ensaiar?
Yes, estar a + infinitive also marks a continuous action (“he’s rehearsing”). The difference is subtle: estar a ensaiar focuses on what’s happening right now, while andar a ensaiar often implies it’s been happening regularly or over some days.
Why is there an a after anda? Why not say anda ensaiar?
In this periphrastic tense, andar requires the preposition a before the second verb in European Portuguese. So anda a ensaiar is correct, and anda ensaiar would be ungrammatical.
Why is no used in no palco?
No is simply the contraction of em + o. Since palco is a masculine noun, you say no palco to mean “on the stage.”
Why do we say todas as tardes instead of todas tardes?
In Portuguese, plural time expressions normally include the definite article. Todas as tardes means “every afternoon.” Omitting as would sound odd.
Why is para used before a nova peça? Could we say ensaiar a nova peça?
You can indeed say ensaiar a nova peça (“rehearse the new play”). Adding para emphasizes the purpose: “rehearse in preparation for the new play.” It highlights why he’s rehearsing.
Is O Pedro anda a ensaiar… specifically European Portuguese? How would a Brazilian say it?
Yes, andar a + infinitive is characteristic of European Portuguese. In Brazilian Portuguese you’d more likely hear O Pedro está ensaiando no palco todas as tardes para a nova peça or simply O Pedro ensaia no palco todas as tardes para a nova peça.