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Ultimamente ando a estudar português à noite.

Ultimamente ando a estudar português à noite.
Lately I have been studying Portuguese at night.
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Questions & Answers about Ultimamente ando a estudar português à noite.

What does ando a estudar literally mean, and why is it used here?

Literally, ando a estudar is “I go around studying” or “I’m going about studying”.

In practice, in European Portuguese it usually means:

  • an ongoing, repeated or recent activity
  • similar to “I’ve been studying” or “I’m (generally) studying” in English

So Ultimamente ando a estudar português à noite is most naturally:

  • “Lately I’ve been studying Portuguese at night.”

Using andar a + infinitive suggests something that happens with some regularity over a period of time, not just right this second.

What is the difference between ando a estudar and estou a estudar?

Both use a verb + a + infinitive to talk about ongoing actions, but the nuance is different:

  • estou a estudar

    • focuses on right now / at this very moment
    • like “I am studying” (right now)

  • ando a estudar

    • focuses on a period of time and a kind of habit or tendency
    • like “I’ve been studying” / “I’ve been doing some studying”

So:

  • Agora estou a estudar português.
    → Right now I’m studying Portuguese (maybe at this very moment at my desk).

  • Ultimamente ando a estudar português à noite.
    → Lately I’ve been studying Portuguese at night (as a recent habit).

Why is there an a before estudar (as in ando a estudar)?

In European Portuguese, many verbs form a kind of periphrastic tense with:

  • verb + a + infinitive

Common patterns include:

  • estar a + infinitive → estou a estudar (I’m studying)
  • andar a + infinitive → ando a estudar (I’ve been / I go around studying)
  • começar a + infinitive → comecei a estudar (I started studying)
  • continuar a + infinitive → continuo a estudar (I continue to study / I keep studying)

In ando a estudar, the a is a preposition that is just part of this standard grammar pattern. It does not translate directly into English; you shouldn’t say “I walk to study”—it’s simply a fixed structure.

Why is estudar in the infinitive and not something like estudando, like in Brazilian Portuguese?

European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese handle continuous/progressive forms differently:

  • European Portuguese (Portugal)

    • prefers estar a + infinitive and similar structures:
      • estou a estudar
      • ando a estudar
      • comecei a estudar

  • Brazilian Portuguese

    • prefers estar + gerúndio (-ndo form):
      • estou estudando
      • ando estudando (much less common; Brazilians usually say ando estudando only in some dialects/contexts)

So in Portugal, estudar (infinitive) after a is completely normal and actually the most natural choice. Using estudando in Portugal is grammatically possible but sounds very Brazilian and is not the standard in European Portuguese.

Could we say Ultimamente estou a estudar português à noite instead? Does it mean the same?

Yes, Ultimamente estou a estudar português à noite is grammatically correct and understandable, but the nuance is slightly different:

  • Ultimamente ando a estudar português à noite.

    • more about habit / pattern over recent time
    • implies it’s something you’ve been doing fairly regularly lately

  • Ultimamente estou a estudar português à noite.

    • focuses more on the current ongoing situation
    • a bit closer to “At the moment, I’m (in the process of) studying Portuguese at night.”

In everyday speech, both can be used. Ando a estudar slightly emphasizes the idea of going through a phase of doing this; estou a estudar is more neutral.

Can Ultimamente go in another position in the sentence?

Yes. In Portuguese, adverbs like Ultimamente are relatively flexible in position. All of these are acceptable:

  • Ultimamente ando a estudar português à noite.
  • Ando a estudar português à noite ultimamente.
  • Ultimamente, ando a estudar português à noite. (with a comma; slightly more formal/written)

The most natural in speech is probably the original one or with Ultimamente at the end. Placing Ultimamente at the very beginning often adds a small emphasis, like starting with “Lately, …” in English.

Why is português not capitalized in Portuguese?

In Portuguese, names of languages and nationalities are not capitalized (unless they start a sentence or are part of a proper name). For example:

  • Falo português e inglês.
  • Ela é portuguesa.
  • Ele é brasileiro.

So português is correctly written with lowercase p in the sentence:

  • Ultimamente ando a estudar português à noite.

This is different from English, where Portuguese and English are capitalized.

Why is there no article before português (why not o português)?

Both are possible, but they feel slightly different:

  • ando a estudar português

    • more general; emphasizes the language in general or the activity
    • similar to English “studying Portuguese”

  • ando a estudar o português

    • can sound a bit more specific or school-like, like “studying the Portuguese language (as a subject)”
    • used when we want to treat it as a specific subject/course

In everyday speech about learning languages, without the article is very common and natural:

  • Ando a estudar português.
  • Ando a aprender francês.
What does the à in à noite mean, and why does it have an accent?

À is a contraction of:

  • the preposition a (to/at)
    • the feminine definite article a (the)

So:

  • a + a noite → à noite

The grave accent (`) marks this contraction, called crase.

We write:

  • à noite = “at night / in the evening”

The accent is obligatory here in standard Portuguese. Writing a noite without the accent (in this meaning and construction) is considered incorrect in formal writing.

What is the difference between à noite, de noite, and na noite?

They all involve noite (night), but the usage is different:

  • à noite

    • very common for “in the evening / at night” as a time of day
    • used for routines and habits:
      • Estudo português à noite. → I study Portuguese at night (habit).

  • de noite

    • also means “at night / by night”
    • often a bit more general or contrastive (day vs night):
      • Trabalho de dia e estudo de noite. → I work by day and study at night.

  • na noite (= em + a noite)

    • means “in the night” / “on the night (of something)”, more about a specific night or within the night:
      • Na noite de Natal, ficámos em casa. → On Christmas night, we stayed at home.

In your sentence, because it’s about a regular habit, à noite is the most natural choice.

Is ando here the same verb as andar meaning “to walk”?

Yes. Ando is the 1st person singular present of andar:

  • eu ando → I walk / I go

But andar also has a grammatical, auxiliary-like use in Portuguese when followed by a + infinitive:

  • andar a + infinitive → to go around doing something / be doing something over a period of time

So:

  • Eu ando a estudar português.
    • literally: I go around studying Portuguese.
    • naturally: I’ve been studying Portuguese.

This is a normal extension of the verb, similar to English “go around doing X” or “have been doing X” in terms of feel.

How would you roughly pronounce Ultimamente ando a estudar português à noite in European Portuguese?

A rough IPA-style approximation for European Portuguese might be:

  • [uɫtiˈmɐ̃t(ɨ) ˈɐ̃du ɐʃtuˈðaɾ puɾtuˈɣeʃ a ˈnojt(ɨ)]

Some helpful points (very simplified):

  • Ultimamente → ool-chee-MUN-t(ih)

    • the final -e is very reduced, almost “t” with a very short vowel

  • ando → UN-doo

    • initial a is often slightly nasal in natural fast speech

  • a estudar → often sounds like one unit: ash-tu-DAR

    • the e in estudar is very weak, often almost gone in fast speech

  • português → poor-too-GESH

    • final -ês has a “esh” sound

  • à noite → a NOYT(ih)

    • noite sounds close to English “noit” with a very light final vowel

This is only a rough guide; actual European Portuguese pronunciation is quite reduced and fast compared to how it looks written.

Could this sentence also be said with the simple present, like Ultimamente estudo português à noite?

Yes, Ultimamente estudo português à noite is grammatically correct and understandable.

Nuance differences:

  • Ultimamente ando a estudar português à noite.

    • feels more natural in conversation for something you’ve been doing recently and repeatedly
    • closer to “Lately I’ve been studying Portuguese at night.”

  • Ultimamente estudo português à noite.

    • simple present, more neutral or slightly more formal/written
    • closer to “Lately I study Portuguese at night.”
    • can sound like you’re describing a schedule or fact

In everyday speech, ando a estudar is very common when talking about a recent ongoing habit.