Depois do jantar, ela passou o aspirador e lavou o chão com detergente.

After dinner, she vacuumed and washed the floor with detergent.

Breakdown of Depois do jantar, ela passou o aspirador e lavou o chão com detergente.

• ela: she
• o jantar: the dinner
• e: and
• depois de: after
• com: with
• lavar: to wash
• o chão: the floor
• passar o aspirador: to vacuum
• o detergente: the detergent

Questions & Answers about Depois do jantar, ela passou o aspirador e lavou o chão com detergente.

What tense are “passou” and “lavou,” and what’s the English equivalent?

They’re in the Pretérito Perfeito (simple past), used for completed actions. So passou = “(she) vacuumed,” and lavou = “(she) washed.”

Why is it “depois do jantar” and not “depois de o jantar”?

Portuguese contracts prepositions with articles. de + o = do (masculine singular). Similarly: da (de + a), dos (de + os), das (de + as). Writing “de o” is unidiomatic.

What’s the difference between “depois do jantar” and “depois de jantar”?

• Depois do jantar = “after the dinner” (noun, specific meal, with article).
• Depois de jantar = “after dining/after having dinner” (verb in the infinitive, more general). Both are correct here; the choice is stylistic.

Is the subject pronoun “ela” required?

Not strictly. Portuguese is a pro‑drop language, so you can say Depois do jantar, passou o aspirador e lavou o chão… if the subject is clear from context. Use ela for clarity or emphasis.

Why does “passou o aspirador” mean “vacuumed”? Can I just say “aspirou”?

Passar o aspirador is the standard idiom in European Portuguese for “to vacuum.” You can also use the verb aspirar transitively: Ela aspirou o tapete. Note: aspirar a means “to aspire to” (e.g., aspirar a uma carreira), so keep an eye on that preposition.

Do I need the article “o” before “aspirador”?

Yes in European Portuguese: passar o aspirador is the natural collocation. Omitting the article (passar aspirador) is common in Brazil but sounds off in Portugal.

Does “lavou o chão” mean she mopped?

It means she washed the floor (with water), which may or may not involve mopping. If you specifically want “mopped,” say passou a esfregona (EP) or passou a mopa (also used). Limpou o chão just means “cleaned the floor” (broader).

Why “com detergente” and not “com o detergente”? Is “detergente” countable?

• com detergente = with detergent in general (generic, no article).
• com o detergente = with a specific detergent already known in context. “Detergente” is usually uncountable; um detergente means “a detergent (a type/bottle).”

Are there European Portuguese vs Brazilian Portuguese differences I should know here?

A few:

• EP prefers depois de: Depois de jantar…; BR also uses depois que: Depois que jantou…
• EP: passar o aspirador; BR: passar aspirador or passar o aspirador (both heard), and the appliance can be aspirador de pó or aspirador/a aspiradeira (regional).
• EP often avoids the gerund where BR uses it. EP: lavou o chão com detergente; BR: lavou o chão usando detergente is very natural.

What about “chão,” “soalho,” “piso,” and “pavimento”? Which should I use?

• chão = floor/ground in general; the most common everyday word.
• soalho = a (usually wooden) floor/boards inside a house.
• piso = floor/level of a building; as “surface,” it’s more Brazilian.
• pavimento = “pavement/flooring,” more technical/formal.

Is the comma after “Depois do jantar” required? Any comma before “e”?

The comma after a fronted time phrase is standard: Depois do jantar, … Don’t put a comma before e here: … passou o aspirador e lavou o chão …

Pronunciation tips (European Portuguese)?

• depois: final “s” as [ʃ] in many EP accents.
• jantar: j = [ʒ] (“zh”), ã nasal.
• passou / lavou: ou pronounced [o].
• aspirador: the “s” is often [ʃ] (aʃ‑), final r is light [ɾ].
• chão: ch = [ʃ], ão is a nasal diphthong.
• detergente: g before “e” = [ʒ] (“zh”): de‑ter‑ZHEN‑te.

Can I place “Depois do jantar” at the end?

Yes: Ela passou o aspirador e lavou o chão com detergente depois do jantar. No comma needed in that position.

Can I specify who did the dining with an infinitive?

Yes, use the personal infinitive after a preposition:

• Depois de jantarmos, … = after we had dinner
• Depois de jantarem, … = after they/you (pl.) had dinner You can also say Depois de ter jantado, … (emphasizes completion).