Breakdown of Antes do exame, eu quero reler o resumo com calma.
Questions & Answers about Antes do exame, eu quero reler o resumo com calma.
do is a contraction of the preposition de + the definite article o (masculine singular):
- de + o = do
- Antes de o exame → must contract → Antes do exame
You use de + definite article after antes when it’s followed by a noun:
- Antes do exame = before the exam
- Antes da aula = before the class
- Antes dos testes = before the tests
Using just de exame (before exam) would sound incomplete or wrong here; you normally need the article with a specific event like the exam.
The comma is optional here.
- Antes do exame, eu quero reler o resumo com calma.
- Antes do exame eu quero reler o resumo com calma.
Both are correct.
In European Portuguese, a comma is often used after an introductory time expression (Antes do exame, Depois da aula, etc.), but it’s mostly a matter of style unless the phrase is very long or complex. It doesn’t change the meaning.
You can absolutely drop eu:
- Antes do exame, quero reler o resumo com calma.
Portuguese is a pro‑drop language: the subject pronoun is often omitted because the verb ending already shows the person:
- quero → clearly 1st person singular (I want).
You include eu mainly when you want emphasis or contrast:
- Eu quero reler o resumo, tu não precisas.
(I want to reread the summary, you don’t need to.)
In neutral sentences, quero reler… without eu is very natural.
In Portuguese, verbs like querer, poder, conseguir, precisar de (in some uses) etc. are followed directly by the infinitive of the next verb, without to or any extra preposition:
- quero reler = I want to reread
- posso ler = I can read
- consegues terminar = you manage to finish
So:
- ✅ eu quero reler o resumo
- ❌ eu quero de reler o resumo
- ❌ eu quero a reler o resumo
You simply put the second verb in the infinitive right after quero.
reler is a regular verb meaning “to read again” / “to reread”. It’s formed with the prefix re- (again) + ler (to read). It’s very common and natural in both spoken and written Portuguese.
Examples:
- Quero reler o resumo. – I want to reread the summary.
- Ela releu a carta. – She reread the letter.
You can also say:
- ler outra vez – literally read another time
- voltar a ler – literally go back to reading / read again
All three are correct:
- Quero reler o resumo.
- Quero ler o resumo outra vez.
- Quero voltar a ler o resumo.
reler is just the most compact.
In European Portuguese, you normally use a definite article with specific countable nouns:
- o resumo = the summary
- a aula = the class
- os testes = the tests
Here, o resumo means a specific summary that both speaker and listener know about (for example, my summary for that exam).
If you want to show that it’s explicitly your summary, in European Portuguese you normally say:
- o meu resumo = my summary
So these are all possible, depending on context:
- reler o resumo – reread the summary (context makes it clear which)
- reler o meu resumo – reread my summary (explicit)
In European Portuguese, “meu resumo” without the article (o) is grammatical but sounds more Brazilian; the article + possessive pattern (o meu, a tua, etc.) is the usual European style.
Literally, com calma means “with calm”, but idiomatically it means:
- slowly, without rushing
- calmly, in a relaxed way
The structure com + noun is a very common way to form adverbial expressions in Portuguese. Here are some examples:
- com calma – calmly / without hurry
- com atenção – attentively
- com cuidado – carefully
You could say calmamente, but:
- com calma is far more common and sounds very natural and everyday.
- calmamente can sound a bit more formal or literary in many contexts.
So:
- ✅ Quero reler o resumo com calma.
- ✅ Quero reler o resumo calmamente. (correct, but less colloquial)
The most natural place for com calma in this sentence is at the end:
- ✅ Eu quero reler o resumo com calma.
You can also put it right after the verb group, but that’s less usual here:
- ? Eu quero, com calma, reler o resumo. (possible in writing, a bit more formal/emphatic)
The version “eu quero com calma reler o resumo” is understandable but awkward in European Portuguese; native speakers wouldn’t normally say it that way.
As a rule of thumb, keep short adverbial phrases like com calma near the end of the clause, after the object:
- reler o resumo com calma
- fazer o exame com atenção
In Portuguese, the present tense is very often used to talk about future plans or intentions, especially when they’re relatively near or concrete:
- Amanhã vou estudar. – Tomorrow I’m going to study.
- Antes do exame, quero reler o resumo. – Before the exam, I want to reread the summary.
Here, quero expresses your current desire/intention regarding a future moment. That’s completely normal.
There is a future tense form quererei, but it’s:
- grammatically correct
- very formal / literary / almost never used in everyday speech
In normal conversation you’d say:
- Antes do exame, quero reler o resumo com calma.
Approximate European Portuguese pronunciation (stressed syllables in bold):
- Antes do exame → [ˈɐn‑t(ʃ)ɨʒ du e‑ˈzɐ‑mɨ]
- eu quero → [eu ˈkɛ‑ɾu] (with a guttural /ʁ/ like French r)
- reler → [ʁɨ‑ˈleɾ]
- o resumo → [u ʁɨ‑ˈzu‑mu]
- com calma → [kõ ˈkaɫ‑mɐ] (dark L in calma)
Spoken fairly naturally, you’ll hear linking and some reduction, for example:
- Antes do often sounds like [ˈɐn(t)ʃ du]
- final -e in exame is weak and can sound like a very short /ɨ/ or almost disappear.
You don’t need to produce this perfectly, but being aware of the guttural r and the weak unstressed vowels helps you imitate European pronunciation.
The direct object pronoun for o resumo (masculine singular) is o.
In European Portuguese, with an infinitive like reler, you usually attach the pronoun to the verb with a hyphen:
- Quero relê‑lo com calma. – I want to reread it calmly.
Notes:
- The verb gets an accent: reler → relê‑lo.
- This marks the stress on lê and keeps pronunciation clear.
- The o pronoun refers back to o resumo.
So the full equivalent of your original sentence would be (if the context already makes “it” clear):
- Antes do exame, quero relê‑lo com calma.