Breakdown of A torradeira avariou ontem, por isso hoje torro o pão no forno.
Questions & Answers about A torradeira avariou ontem, por isso hoje torro o pão no forno.
Yes. Both A torradeira avariou ontem and A torradeira avariou-se ontem are correct in European Portuguese. The reflexive form avariou-se is very common and sounds natural in everyday speech when something stops working “on its own.” The non‑reflexive avariou is also fine and somewhat more neutral/formal. You’ll also hear synonyms:
- A torradeira estragou-se ontem. (very common)
- A torradeira pifou ontem. (informal/colloquial)
- por isso = “so/therefore,” introduces a consequence:
A torradeira avariou ontem, por isso hoje torro o pão no forno. - porque = “because,” introduces a cause:
Hoje torro o pão no forno porque a torradeira avariou ontem. - então can also mean “so/then,” but it’s more conversational and can sound less formal than por isso:
A torradeira avariou ontem; então hoje torro o pão no forno.
You’ll also hear por isso é que (“that’s why”) for emphasis:
A torradeira avariou ontem, por isso é que hoje torro o pão no forno.
- A comma before por isso is standard because it links two independent clauses:
A torradeira avariou ontem, por isso hoje torro o pão no forno. - A comma after por isso is optional and reflects a stylistic pause:
…, por isso, hoje torro o pão… (both with and without the second comma are acceptable).
Both verbs exist, but torrar is the default for toasting bread in Portugal.
- torrar bread is standard: Hoje torro o pão…
- tostar also means “to toast/brown,” but it often suggests lighter browning or is used in certain fixed expressions (e.g., tosta mista for a toasted sandwich).
Conjugation note: torrar → eu torro, tu torras, ele/ela torra…
You can drop it. Portuguese is a pro‑drop language, and the verb ending already tells you the subject:
- Neutral: Hoje torro o pão no forno.
- Add eu for emphasis or contrast: Hoje eu torro o pão no forno (e não tu).
Portuguese uses definite articles more than English. With mass nouns like “bread,” the definite article is common when referring to a specific, contextually known item (the bread you have at home): torro o pão.
- torro pão (no article) sounds odd.
- torro um pão would mean “a loaf/roll,” i.e., one item.
- For generic statements: O pão é caro. (“Bread is expensive.”)
no forno = “in the oven” (em + o = no). That’s the natural choice here.
ao forno (from a + o) exists but is mostly found in set phrases or recipe names (more common in Brazil), like frango ao forno. In Portugal, to express location/method, use no forno: torro o pão no forno.
In Portugal:
- torradeira is the standard “toaster” (slot/popup toaster for slices of bread).
- tostadeira often refers to a sandwich press/grill (for making tostas, like a panini/press), though usage varies by region/brand.
So for this sentence, torradeira is the correct appliance.
Portuguese often uses the simple present with time adverbs to talk about scheduled or intended near‑future actions: Hoje torro o pão… means “Today I’m toasting the bread…”
You can also say Hoje vou torrar o pão… (near future) with a slightly stronger sense of plan/intention.
Yes, but it changes the meaning.
- Estou a torrar o pão no forno = you’re doing it right now (progressive aspect, EP uses estar a + infinitive).
- Hoje torro o pão no forno = you plan/expect to do it at some point today, not necessarily at this moment.
Yes. Adverbs of time are flexible. All of these are natural:
- Ontem a torradeira avariou; por isso hoje torro o pão no forno.
- A torradeira avariou ontem; por isso hoje torro o pão no forno.
- A torradeira avariou ontem; por isso, hoje, torro o pão no forno. (extra commas = extra pauses/emphasis)
- torradeira: [tuʁɐˈðejɾɐ] — the double rr is the strong guttural R [ʁ]; unstressed vowels reduce.
- avariou: [ɐvɐˈɾju] or [ɐvɐˈɾjou] — the single r between vowels is a tap [ɾ].
- ontem: [ˈõtɐ̃j̃] — nasal vowel at the end.
- por isso: [puˈɾisu] — often runs together in speech.
- hoje: [ˈoʒ(ɨ)].
- torro: [ˈtɔʁu] — double rr = [ʁ].
- pão: [pɐ̃w̃] — nasal diphthong.
- forno: [ˈfoɾnu] — single r = tap [ɾ].
Natural connected speech will compress vowels and link words: …avariou ontem, por isso hoje torro o pão… flows with few pauses.