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Encontramo-nos na avenida principal por volta das oito.

Encontramo-nos na avenida principal por volta das oito.
Let’s meet on the main avenue around eight.
FromLesson 35inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)
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Breakdown of Encontramo-nos na avenida principal por volta das oito.

em
on
principal
main
oito
eight
encontrar-se
to meet
a avenida
the avenue
por volta de
around

Questions & Answers about Encontramo-nos na avenida principal por volta das oito.

Why is it written as Encontramo-nos (with a hyphen and without the final s), not Encontramos-nos?

In European Portuguese, unstressed object/reflexive pronouns (like nos) attach to the verb with a hyphen in affirmative statements (enclisis). When a 1st‑person plural verb ends in -mos and is followed by -nos, the final s in -mos drops:

  • vemos → vemo-nos
  • chamamos → chamamo-nos
  • encontramos → encontramo-nos

So the correct form here is Encontramo-nos.

What does nos do here? Is it “ourselves”?
Yes, grammatically it’s the reflexive pronoun nos (“ourselves”), but here it has a reciprocal meaning: Encontramo-nos = “We meet each other.” Note this is different from nós (with an accent), which is the subject pronoun “we.” You can include the subject for emphasis: Nós encontramo-nos…, but it’s not required.
Is this European or Brazilian Portuguese word order?
It’s European Portuguese. EP prefers the pronoun after the verb in affirmative clauses: Encontramo-nos. In Brazilian Portuguese you’ll typically see the pronoun before the verb: Nos encontramos or colloquially A gente se encontra.
Can this present tense mean the future (“We’ll meet”)?

Yes. Portuguese often uses the present for near-future/scheduled arrangements when a time expression is present: Encontramo-nos… por volta das oito = “We’ll meet… around eight.” Alternatives:

  • Vamos encontrar-nos… (very common)
  • Encontrar-nos-emos… (grammatically valid but very formal/rare in speech)
How do I say it in the past (“We met”) and avoid ambiguity with the present?

Use the preterite with an accent on the stressed syllable: Encontrámo-nos.

  • Present: Encontramo-nos (“we meet/are meeting”)
  • Preterite: Encontrámo-nos (“we met”)

Example: Encontrámo-nos na avenida principal ontem.

How does the pronoun placement change in the negative or in questions?

In European Portuguese, negatives and most wh-questions trigger proclisis (pronoun before the verb):

  • Negative: Não nos encontramos na avenida principal.
  • Wh-question: Quando nos encontramos? For yes/no questions without a trigger, enclisis is also possible: Encontramo-nos na avenida principal?
Why is it na avenida principal and not something else?
  • na = contraction of em + a (“in/on the”) for feminine singular nouns. avenida is feminine, so na is correct. For masculine, you’d have no (= em + o).
  • principal follows the noun by default: avenida principal (“main avenue”). Putting it before the noun (principal avenida) is uncommon and feels marked in this context.
What if “Main Avenue” is the actual street name?
Capitalize it: na Avenida Principal. If you mean any main avenue (not a proper name), keep it lower-case: na avenida principal.
What does por volta das oito literally mean, and why das?

It literally means “around eight.” It’s por volta de + as (oito horas) → contracts to das. You’re saying “around the eight (o’clock).” Compare:

  • Exact time: às oito (“at eight”)
  • Approximate: por volta das oito (“around eight”)
Are there natural alternatives to por volta das oito?

Yes:

  • cerca das oito
  • pelas oito
  • à volta das oito (very common in Portugal)
  • por volta de oito horas (if you include the word horas)
Can I just say às oito here?

Use às oito when you mean exactly 8:00. por volta das oito means “around 8.” Also note the prepositions:

  • às = a + as (exact time)
  • das = de + as (used after expressions like por volta de)
Could I say Encontramos without the pronoun?

No, not for “meet (each other).” Encontrar without the pronoun typically means “to find.” To express meeting up:

  • Reciprocal: Encontramo-nos (“we meet each other”)
  • With “with”: Encontramo-nos com o João / Vou encontrar-me com a Maria
Is the word order fixed? Can I move the time/place around?

You can move them, keeping the same meaning:

  • Encontramo-nos por volta das oito na avenida principal.
  • Na avenida principal, encontramo-nos por volta das oito. Neutral EP prefers not to break verb–pronoun: keep -mo-nos together.
How would Brazilians say the whole sentence?

Common options:

  • Nos encontramos na avenida principal por volta das oito.
  • A gente se encontra na avenida principal por volta das oito.
How do I pronounce the sentence (European Portuguese)?

Approximate: en-kon-TRAH-moo NOOSH na ah-veh-NEE-da prin-see-PAHL por VOL-tah dazh OY-too. Notes:

  • Final s in nos sounds like “sh” (NOOSH) in most of Portugal.
  • das oito links: “daz OY-too.”
Does principal agree in gender/number?

Yes. principal is invariant for gender in the singular (masc./fem. = principal), but plural is principais:

  • avenida principal (singular)
  • avenidas principais (plural)
Why not à avenida principal?
Use em (→ na) for location (“at/on the main avenue”). a (→ à) indicates motion toward a place, not location. For movement you’d say para a avenida principal (“to the main avenue”).

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