Depois do exame, é bom fazer uma pausa para descansar.

After the exam, it is good to take a break to rest.

Breakdown of Depois do exame, é bom fazer uma pausa para descansar.

• bom: good
• ser: to be
• descansar: to rest
• depois de: after
• o exame: the exam
• para: to
• fazer uma pausa: to take a break

Questions & Answers about Depois do exame, é bom fazer uma pausa para descansar.

Why is it depois do exame and not depois de o exame?

In Portuguese, the preposition de combines (contracts) with the definite article o:

• de + o → do
• de + a → da
• de + os → dos
• de + as → das

So:

• depois de o exame → depois do exame

Both mean after the exam, but in normal Portuguese you must use the contracted form (do, da, etc.) rather than keeping de and o separate.

Why is there a definite article (o) in do exame? Could I say depois de exame?

With singular countable nouns like exame, European Portuguese almost always uses the definite article when referring to a specific instance:

• depois do exame = after the exam (the one we both know about)

Saying depois de exame is generally wrong or sounds very odd. You might only drop the article in some set expressions or after certain prepositions, but here it’s not natural. Use:

• depois do exame ✅
• depois de exame ❌ (unnatural in this context)

Why is there a comma after Depois do exame? Is it required?

Depois do exame is a time expression placed at the beginning of the sentence. In European Portuguese, it’s common (and stylistically preferred) to separate such an initial adverbial phrase with a comma:

• Depois do exame, é bom fazer uma pausa para descansar.

You could technically omit the comma in informal writing, but the version with the comma is standard and clearer. If you move the time phrase to the end, you usually don’t use a comma:

• É bom fazer uma pausa para descansar depois do exame.

What does the structure é bom fazer mean, and why is fazer in the infinitive?

É bom fazer… literally means it is good to do…, and it’s an impersonal expression:

• é – 3rd person singular of ser
• bom – adjective good
• fazer – infinitive to do / to make

This structure:

• Gives general advice or evaluation:
  É bom fazer uma pausa = It’s good (a good idea) to take a break.
• Uses the infinitive (fazer) because we’re talking about the action in general, not saying that I or you do it specifically.

So it’s similar to English patterns like “It’s good to rest”, “It’s important to study” → É bom descansar, É importante estudar.

Could we say É bom que faças uma pausa instead? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say:

• É bom que faças uma pausa para descansar.

Differences:

1. Infinitive version (more general/neutral):

   • É bom fazer uma pausa…
     General advice, not strongly directed at any specific person.

2. Subjunctive version (more directed/subjective):

   • É bom que faças uma pausa…
     Sounds more like: It would be good if you took a break.
     It’s more explicitly about you (or some specific person) and slightly more personal/insistent.

Both are correct; the original sentence is simply more impersonal and general.

Why is it fazer uma pausa and not tomar uma pausa or something else?

In European Portuguese, with pausa, the most natural verbs are:

• fazer uma pausa – literally to do/make a pause → to take a break
• fazer uma pausa para café – to take a coffee break

You don’t normally say tomar uma pausa. Some other options:

• fazer uma pausa = fazer um intervalo (very similar meaning)
• fazer uma pausa para descansar = to take a break in order to rest

So fazer is the usual verb used with pausa in this sense.

What does uma pausa literally mean, and are there synonyms?

Uma pausa literally means a pause, and in this context it’s best translated as a break.

Common synonyms/near-synonyms in European Portuguese:

• um intervalo – a break (often between classes, in schedules)
• um descanso – a rest
• uma pausa – a pause/break (quite general)

Examples:

• Depois do exame, é bom fazer uma pausa.
• Depois do exame, é bom fazer um intervalo.
• Depois do exame, é bom fazer um pequeno descanso.

They all sound natural, with slight nuance differences, but uma pausa is perfectly normal and clear.

What is the role of para in para descansar? Could we use a different preposition?

Here para expresses purpose:

• fazer uma pausa para descansar
  = take a break in order to rest / so as to rest

Para + infinitive is the standard way to talk about purpose:

• Estudo para passar no exame. – I study to pass the exam.
• Saí mais cedo para evitar o trânsito. – I left earlier to avoid the traffic.

Alternatives like por descansar or a descansar do not express the same idea here and would be wrong in this sentence. To express purpose, keep para descansar.

Why is descansar in the infinitive? Could it be conjugated?

After para expressing purpose, Portuguese normally uses the infinitive:

• para descansar – to rest
• para estudar – to study
• para aprender – to learn

So descansar is in the infinitive because we’re talking about the action as a general goal, not conjugated for a specific subject.

You could make a heavier sentence using the personal infinitive:

• É bom fazermos uma pausa para descansarmos.
  = It’s good for us to take a break to rest.

But the original para descansar is simpler and more general, and very common.

Why is exame masculine (do exame) and not feminine (da exame)?

In Portuguese, every noun has a grammatical gender. Exame is a masculine noun:

• o exame – the exam
• um exame – an exam

So de + o exame contracts to do exame.

If the noun were feminine, we would have:

• de + a prova → da prova (using prova, which is feminine)

But with exame, always use masculine forms: o exame, do exame, ao exame, etc.

Is there any difference between exame (Portugal) and prova (Brazil)?

In European Portuguese:

• exame – the usual word for a formal test, especially school/university exams.
• prova – can be used for a test or assessment, but also for proof, sample, a tasting (e.g., wine), etc.

In Brazilian Portuguese:

• prova is very common for school tests.
• exame is also used, especially for more formal or official exams (entrance exams, medical exams, etc.).

Your sentence is perfectly natural in Portugal. In Brazil, people might more often say:

• Depois da prova, é bom fazer uma pausa para descansar.

Can I change the word order, for example: É bom, depois do exame, fazer uma pausa para descansar?

Yes, Portuguese word order is flexible for adverbial time expressions like depois do exame.

All of these are grammatically correct:

1. Depois do exame, é bom fazer uma pausa para descansar.
2. É bom fazer uma pausa para descansar depois do exame.
3. É bom, depois do exame, fazer uma pausa para descansar.

Differences are mainly in emphasis and style:

• Starting with Depois do exame (option 1) puts focus on the time.
• Putting it at the end (option 2) feels more neutral.
• Inserting it in the middle with commas (option 3) is a bit more formal or written style.

How do you pronounce exame and pausa in European Portuguese?

Approximate European Portuguese pronunciation:

• exame: /ɨˈzɐm(ɨ)/

  • e- → a very reduced vowel, similar to the a in about, but more closed: ɨ
  • -x- → pronounced as z
  • stress on -za-: e-ZA-me
  • final -e is often very weak or almost silent in fast speech.

• pausa: roughly PAW-zɐ

  • au → like the English ow in cow but shorter
  • final -a often sounds like ɐ (a reduced uh sound) in European Portuguese.

You can think:

• exame ≈ ih-ZAH-m(uh)
• pausa ≈ POW-zuh (with the vowel reduced at the end)