Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Porque é que chegaste tão tarde ao treino?

It’s a common European Portuguese “focus” construction used in wh-questions. It doesn’t translate literally; it makes the question sound natural/emphatic. Without it, the sentence is still correct, but in everyday EP speech you’ll hear Porque é que… all the time.

Can I drop é que and just say Porque chegaste tão tarde ao treino?

Yes. That’s perfectly grammatical and a bit more neutral or written-sounding. In natural spoken EP, Porque é que… is more frequent.

What’s the difference between porque, porquê, por que, and por quê?

porque = because; also used (with or without é que) to ask “why” at the start of a full question: Porque (é que) chegaste…?
porquê (with accent) = “why” only when it stands alone or appears at the end: Chegaste tarde, porquê? It’s also a noun: o porquê = “the reason.”
por que (two words) can occur in EP in some written/relative structures, but for direct “why” questions, EP strongly prefers Porque (é que).
por quê (with accent on quê) is Brazilian usage at sentence end; not used in EP.

What tense and person is chegaste?

It’s the simple past (preterite), 2nd person singular (informal “tu”): “you arrived.” Key forms (EP):

eu: cheguei
tu: chegaste
ele/ela/você: chegou
nós: chegámos (note the accent in EP)
vocês/eles/elas: chegaram

Is chegaste informal? What’s the formal version?

Yes—chegaste addresses someone as tu (informal). The formal or distant form uses você (or implied subject) with 3rd person: chegou. Example: Porque é que chegou tão tarde ao treino?

Why is it chegar a and not another preposition?

In EP, the verb chegar takes the preposition a (“to/at”): chegar a casa, chegar à escola, chegar ao treino. Don’t use em with chegar in EP (that’s common in Brazil). Use para with motion verbs like ir: fui para o treino (“I went to practice”).

What exactly is ao in ao treino?

A contraction: a + o = ao (“to the,” masculine). For feminine, a + a = à (with grave accent). Examples:

ao treino (to the practice, masc.)
à aula (to the class, fem.)

Why not no treino?

no = em + o (“in/at the”). With chegar, EP uses a, not em: chegar ao treino. Saying chegar no treino is Brazilian usage; in EP it sounds wrong.

What does tão mean here?

tão = “so” (intensifier) before adjectives/adverbs: tão tarde = “so late.” It heightens the degree, often with a sense of surprise/emphasis.

Could I use muito instead of tão?

You can say muito tarde (“very late”), which is a bit more neutral. tão tarde sounds more emotive (“so late!”). Both are fine; pick the tone you want.

Is there a difference between chegar tarde and chegar atrasado?

chegar tarde focuses on the lateness of the time.
chegar atrasado/atrasada focuses on being late relative to a schedule/appointment. Both are common: Chegaste atrasado ao treino (to a male), Chegaste atrasada ao treino (to a female).

Any quick pronunciation tips (European Portuguese)?

Porque é que: choppy rhythm; é sounds like “eh,” que like a quick “kɨ.”
chegaste: “shuh-GASH-t(ɨ)” (hard g; final e very reduced).
tão: nasal “tow(n)” (like “town” but nasalized).
tarde: “TAR-d(ɨ)” (final e reduced).
ao: “ow.”
treino: “TRAY-noo” (the “r” is a tap; final “o” often sounds like “oo”).

Why is tão written with a tilde?

The tilde (ã) marks nasalization. tão and words like irmã, pão have a nasal vowel. Spelling it tao is wrong.

If I only want to ask “Why?” on its own, what should I say?

Say Porquê? (with the accent). As a full question starter, use Porque (é que)…?

Is treino the right word for “practice” (as in sports)?

Yes. treino is the normal word for a training/practice session. prática in Portuguese tends to mean “practice” as opposed to theory, not a sports practice session.

Can I use this structure with other question words?

Yes. EP commonly uses é que after wh-words:

Onde é que…? (Where…?)
Quando é que…? (When…?)
Como é que…? (How…?)
Quem é que…? (Who…?)

Where should tão tarde go in the sentence?

Typically right after the verb or before the place phrase: Porque é que chegaste tão tarde ao treino? Placing it elsewhere (e.g., before the verb) is unusual in EP.