Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Ainda bem que chegaste cedo, porque o autocarro adiantou‑se. - Good thing you arrived early, because the bus was early.

Ainda bem que is an idiomatic expression meaning “It’s a good thing that / I’m glad that.” The ainda here does not contribute its usual “still/yet” meaning; the whole chunk functions as a fixed phrase. It’s followed by the indicative because you’re stating a fact: Ainda bem que chegaste cedo.

Compare: É bom que chegues cedo = “It’s good if/that you (should) arrive early” (subjunctive, a recommendation or expectation), not a comment on a past fact.

Why is it chegaste and not chegou?

Chegaste is second person singular past (addressing tu, informal you) in European Portuguese. Chegou is third person singular past, which you’d use with você, or with polite forms like o senhor / a senhora:

Tu chegaste cedo.
Você chegou cedo.
O senhor chegou cedo.

Do I have to say the pronoun tu?

No. Portuguese is a pro‑drop language; the verb ending usually shows the subject. Chegaste already implies tu. You’d include tu for emphasis, contrast, or clarity: Tu chegaste cedo, mas eles chegaram tarde.

Why is the simple past used (chegaste), not something like “had arrived” or “have arrived”?

In Portuguese, a single completed past event takes the preterite: chegaste.

Past perfect (tinhas chegado) is used to place a past action before another past reference: Quando o autocarro chegou, tu já tinhas chegado.
The “have” perfect (tens chegado) is used for repeated/ongoing past-to-present habits: Ultimamente tens chegado cedo. It’s not used for a one‑off event.

Why is it porque and not por que / porquê?

porque = “because” (conjunction): Fiquei em casa porque chovia.
por que = “why / for what reason” in questions, or “for which” before a noun: Por que chegaste cedo?; o motivo por que te liguei.
porquê (with accent) = the noun “the reason/why,” or “why?” on its own: Não entendo o porquê.; Porquê?

Is the comma before porque correct here?

Yes. The comma is common when porque introduces an explanatory reason for the whole previous statement (an “explanatory porque”): Ainda bem que chegaste cedo, porque o autocarro adiantou‑se. If porque gives the direct cause of the verb in the same clause, there’s typically no comma: Não vim porque estava doente.

What does the ‑se in adiantou‑se do?

It marks the pronominal verb adiantar‑se, which in this context means “to be early / to run ahead of schedule.” With transport or scheduled events, adiantar‑se is the standard way to say they occurred earlier than expected: O autocarro adiantou‑se 10 minutos.

Can I drop the ‑se and say O autocarro adiantou?

Not for this meaning. Adiantar without ‑se usually means “to bring something forward/advance something” (transitive) or “to be of use”: Adiantar a reunião; Isso não adianta nada. To say a bus was early, use adiantar‑se or a different verb like chegar mais cedo.

Why is the pronoun after the verb (adiantou‑se) and not before (se adiantou)?

In European Portuguese, in affirmative main clauses without a proclisis trigger, clitic pronouns attach after the verb with a hyphen (enclisis): adiantou‑se. They come before the verb (proclisis) after triggers like negation, certain adverbs, or in questions:

O autocarro não se adiantou.
Nunca se adianta.
Porque se adiantou o autocarro?

How would Brazilians usually say this?

Brazilian Portuguese prefers proclisis in most contexts and uses ônibus for “bus”:

Que bom que você chegou cedo, porque o ônibus se adiantou. EP: Ainda bem que chegaste cedo, porque o autocarro adiantou‑se.

Why is there an article: o autocarro?

Portuguese commonly uses the definite article when referring to a specific, identifiable referent (e.g., the scheduled bus for that time/route): o autocarro. You’d use um autocarro for a non‑specific bus: Um autocarro passou mais cedo hoje. Omitting the article before a singular countable noun is usually ungrammatical.

Other natural ways to say the bus was early?

O autocarro chegou mais cedo.
O autocarro veio mais cedo.
O autocarro passou mais cedo.
O autocarro adiantou‑se 10 minutos. (explicit time difference)

What else can adiantar(se) mean?

adiantar (transitive): bring forward, move ahead in time: Adiantar a reunião para as 14h.
adiantar (intransitive/impersonal): “be of use/help”: Isso não adianta.
adiantar‑se: get ahead, move forward: Adiantou‑se na fila. With transport/schedules: be early.

How is chegar conjugated in this past tense (EP)?

Pretérito perfeito (simple past), European Portuguese:

eu cheguei
tu chegaste
ele/ela/você chegou
nós chegámos (with accent in EP to distinguish from present)
eles/elas/vocês chegaram

Any pronunciation tips for tricky bits?

chegaste: initial ch = English “sh”; stress on -gas-: sheh-GASH-te.
que (in EP): reduced vowel, like “kɨ” (a brief, almost schwa-like sound).
autocarro: stress on -car-; rr = strong “h” sound: ow-too-KAH-hoo.
adiantou‑se: di is soft (“jee”); ou = “oh”; final -se has a very light vowel in EP.

Can I put the porque‑clause first?

Yes: Porque o autocarro adiantou‑se, ainda bem que chegaste cedo. That sounds a bit more formal or explanatory. The original order is more conversational.

Is the ainda in Ainda bem the same as in ainda não (“not yet”)?

No. In Ainda bem, ainda is part of a fixed idiom meaning “what a relief / good thing.” In other contexts ainda keeps its usual “still/yet” meaning: Ainda não chegou = “It hasn’t arrived yet.”

Can I drop the que after Ainda bem?

No; in this construction que is required: Ainda bem que… You can use Ainda bem! by itself as an exclamation, or switch to a different structure: É bom que chegues cedo (different meaning: a recommendation).

Could I say pois instead of porque?

Yes, in written or slightly formal style: Ainda bem que chegaste cedo, pois o autocarro adiantou‑se. In everyday speech porque is more common for “because.”

Is there anything odd about the hyphen in adiantou‑se?

The hyphen simply attaches the clitic se to the verb in enclisis, which is standard in EP. You’ll see this with other clitics too: levou‑o, disseram‑lhe, levantar‑se (after an infinitive).