Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Depois do jantar, ela passa a esfregona com água quente. - After dinner, she uses the mop with hot water.

It’s the standard European Portuguese way to say bold to mop the floor bold. Literally it’s bold pass (run) the mop bold. Portuguese often uses bold passar bold + a tool to express an action:

bold passar a esfregona bold = to mop (the floor)
bold passar o aspirador bold = to vacuum
bold passar a ferro bold = to iron (clothes)
bold passar um pano bold = to wipe down (with a cloth)

Why is it bold Depois do jantar bold and not bold Depois de o jantar bold or bold da jantar bold?

After bold depois de bold + a noun, Portuguese contracts bold de + o bold to bold do bold. The noun bold jantar bold (dinner) is masculine, so it’s bold do jantar bold. bold da jantar bold would be wrong because bold jantar bold isn’t feminine. So: bold Depois do jantar bold = After dinner.

Can I say bold Depois de jantar, … bold instead?

Yes. bold Depois de jantar bold uses bold jantar bold as a verb (to dine) and is very idiomatic: bold Depois de jantar, ela passa a esfregona. bold Both versions are natural; bold depois do jantar bold uses the noun (the dinner), bold depois de jantar bold uses the infinitive (after dining).

Is bold Depois jantar bold (without bold de bold) ever correct?

No. With a noun or infinitive you need bold depois de bold. For a clause, European Portuguese uses bold depois de (que) bold, while Brazilian Portuguese often uses bold depois que bold.

Why is it bold a esfregona bold (with the definite article) and not just bold esfregona bold?

Portuguese typically uses the definite article with tools and body parts in set expressions. The idiom is bold passar a esfregona bold. You could say bold passar uma esfregona bold (a mop) if you mean any mop, but the fixed expression with bold a bold is the most natural.

What does bold com água quente bold express? Could I say bold com a água quente bold or bold em água quente bold?

bold com bold marks the instrument: bold with hot water bold (i.e., using it). bold com a água quente bold would refer to some specific hot water already known in context. bold em água quente bold would mean in hot water (as in soaking), not what you want for mopping.

Do I need to say bold o chão bold (the floor), or is it implied?

It’s implied. bold Passar a esfregona bold means mopping the floor. You can add a location if useful: bold passa a esfregona no chão/na cozinha/no corredor bold.

Is bold esfregona bold only European Portuguese? What’s used in Brazil?

Yes, bold esfregona bold is standard in Portugal. In Brazil you’ll hear bold esfregão bold (mop) and very commonly bold rodo + pano bold, and the verb phrase bold passar pano bold (to mop/wipe the floor). Note: in Portugal bold esfregão bold usually means a scouring/scrubbing pad, not a floor mop.

What does the present tense bold passa bold convey here? Could it be future?

It’s the simple present, which often expresses a habitual action: After dinner, she usually mops. With a time reference, Portuguese can also use the present for a scheduled near-future: bold Depois do jantar, ela passa a esfregona bold can mean she’ll do it later today. For right-now action, use the European Portuguese progressive: bold está a passar a esfregona bold.

Can I drop the subject pronoun bold ela bold?

Yes. European Portuguese is a pro‑drop language, so bold Depois do jantar, passa a esfregona… bold is fine if the subject is clear from context. Keep bold ela bold if you need clarity or emphasis.

Is the comma after the opening time phrase necessary?

It’s recommended when a time adverbial like bold Depois do jantar bold is fronted. You’ll also see it without a comma in short sentences, but the comma is the safer, more standard choice.

Can I put the time phrase at the end instead?

Yes: bold Ela passa a esfregona depois do jantar. bold Same meaning; starting with bold Depois do jantar bold slightly emphasizes the time.

How do you pronounce the tricky words (European Portuguese)?

Approximate guides:

bold depois bold: dih-POYSH
bold jantar bold: zhuhn-TAR
bold passa bold: PAH-suh (final a is a reduced sound)
bold esfregona bold: sh-freh-GOH-nuh
bold água bold: AH-gwa

Why is it bold água quente bold (adjective after the noun) and not bold quente água bold?

Adjectives usually follow nouns in Portuguese. So bold água quente bold is normal. Putting the adjective before the noun is marked or stylistic and doesn’t apply here.

Are there near-synonyms to the whole sentence?

bold Depois do jantar, ela limpa o chão com água quente. bold (she cleans the floor…)
bold Depois do jantar, ela lava o chão. bold (she washes the floor; implies water, often with detergent)
In Portugal you may also hear bold passar a mopa bold if it’s a flat microfiber mop rather than a string mop.

What other useful bold passar + tool bold expressions should I know?

bold passar o aspirador bold = to vacuum
bold passar a ferro bold = to iron
bold passar um pano bold = to wipe (with a cloth)
bold passar a vassoura bold exists, but the usual verb is bold varrer bold (to sweep) with a bold vassoura bold (broom)

Can I say bold Após o jantar, ela passa a esfregona bold?

Yes. bold Após bold is a bit more formal than bold depois de bold, but the meaning is the same: After dinner, she mops.