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Eu continuo a sonhar em trabalhar no estrangeiro.

Eu continuo a sonhar em trabalhar no estrangeiro.
I keep dreaming of working abroad.

Breakdown of Eu continuo a sonhar em trabalhar no estrangeiro.

eu
I
em
in
trabalhar
to work
continuar
to continue
sonhar em
to dream of
o estrangeiro
abroad
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Questions & Answers about Eu continuo a sonhar em trabalhar no estrangeiro.

Is the subject pronoun Eu necessary here, or can I leave it out?

You can leave it out.

In Portuguese, the verb ending usually shows who the subject is, so Eu is often omitted:

  • Continuo a sonhar em trabalhar no estrangeiro.
  • Eu continuo a sonhar em trabalhar no estrangeiro.

Both are correct.
Using Eu adds a bit of emphasis or contrast (for example: Eu continue to dream, even if others don’t).

Why is it continuo a sonhar and not just continuo sonhar?

Because in Portuguese the verb continuar normally takes the structure:

  • continuar a + infinitive

to mean to keep / continue doing something.

So you say:

  • Continuo a estudar. – I keep studying.
  • Continuamos a trabalhar. – We keep working.
  • Ele continua a sonhar. – He keeps dreaming.

Continuo sonhar (without a) is not natural Portuguese in this sense. The preposition a is required with continuar in this construction.

Could I say Eu ainda sonho em trabalhar no estrangeiro instead? What’s the difference?

Yes, that’s also correct, but there’s a nuance:

  • Eu continuo a sonhar em trabalhar no estrangeiro.
    – Focuses on the continuity of an action that started earlier: you have been dreaming this for some time and that process is ongoing.

  • Eu ainda sonho em trabalhar no estrangeiro.
    – Focuses on the idea that this dream has not disappeared yet. It can imply that time has passed or circumstances have changed, but your dream remains.

Both are natural in European Portuguese; context decides which feels more appropriate.

Why is it sonhar em trabalhar and not sonhar de trabalhar?

With the meaning to dream of doing something (as a wish/goal), Portuguese normally uses:

  • sonhar em + infinitive

Examples:

  • Sonho em viajar pelo mundo. – I dream of travelling around the world.
  • Ele sonha em ser médico. – He dreams of being a doctor.
  • Continuo a sonhar em trabalhar no estrangeiro. – I keep dreaming of working abroad.

Sonhar de + infinitive is not idiomatic in this meaning, so you should avoid it.

There is also an option without the preposition in some contexts:

  • Sonho trabalhar no estrangeiro.

This is possible but less common and a bit more literary/formal. Sonhar em + infinitive is safer and more typical in everyday speech.

What’s the difference between sonhar em, sonhar com, and sonhar que?

They all translate as to dream, but they behave differently:

  1. sonhar em + infinitive – dreaming of doing something (a wish/project)

    • Continuo a sonhar em trabalhar no estrangeiro.
    • Ela sonha em ter uma casa no campo.

  2. sonhar com + noun / pronoun – dreaming about something/someone
    Can be:

    • literal (while sleeping):
      Sonhei com o mar. – I dreamt about the sea.
    • or aspirational:
      Sonho com uma vida melhor. – I dream of a better life.

  3. sonhar que + clause – dreaming that something happens

    • Sonhei que estava a voar. – I dreamt that I was flying.
    • Sonho que um dia vou trabalhar no estrangeiro. – I dream that one day I’ll work abroad.

In your sentence, sonhar em trabalhar highlights the idea of a goal or project: dreaming of working (one day).

Can I use a gerund here, like Eu continuo sonhando em trabalhar no estrangeiro?

Not in European Portuguese.

  • In Brazilian Portuguese, continuo sonhando is very natural.
  • In European Portuguese (Portugal), the usual form is:
    • continuo a sonhar, not continuo sonhando.

In Portugal, the gerund exists but is used much less, and many progressive/ongoing actions are expressed with a + infinitive:

  • Estou a trabalhar. – I am working.
  • Continuo a sonhar. – I keep dreaming.

So in European Portuguese you should say:

  • (Eu) continuo a sonhar em trabalhar no estrangeiro.
What exactly does no estrangeiro mean, and what is no?

No estrangeiro literally means in the foreign (place), i.e. abroad.

  • no is the contraction of em + o:
    • em – in / at
    • o – the (masculine singular)

So:

  • em + o estrangeiro → no estrangeiro

Here estrangeiro is used as a noun, meaning foreign countries / foreign parts, not as an adjective.

So trabalhar no estrangeiro = to work abroad.

Is there any difference between no estrangeiro, no exterior, and fora do país?

They are close in meaning but with small nuances:

  • no estrangeiro – very common in Portugal, everyday and neutral.
    Refers to foreign countries in general:
    Trabalhar no estrangeiro – to work abroad.

  • no exterior – also “abroad”, but a bit more formal/administrative in tone.
    Often used in official or institutional contexts (government, banks, etc.).
    Portugueses a viver no exterior. – Portuguese people living abroad.

  • fora do país – literally outside the country.
    Emphasises the inside vs. outside contrast:
    Ele está a trabalhar fora do país. – He is working outside the country.

In your sentence, no estrangeiro is the most natural everyday option in European Portuguese.

Why is estrangeiro masculine here? Could it be feminine or plural?

In no estrangeiro, estrangeiro is a masculine singular noun meaning abroad / foreign countries. In this fixed expression, it always stays masculine singular.

As an adjective, estrangeiro agrees in gender and number:

  • um país estrangeiro – a foreign country
  • uma empresa estrangeira – a foreign company
  • produtos estrangeiros – foreign products
  • pessoas estrangeiras – foreign people

But when you use o estrangeiro / no estrangeiro to mean abroad, you keep it as masculine singular.

Why do we use the infinitive trabalhar and not a conjugated verb like que trabalho / que trabalhe?

Because in Portuguese, after a preposition (like em) you normally use the infinitive, not a finite (conjugated) verb.

Structure here:

  • sonhar em + infinitive
    • sonhar em trabalhar – to dream of working

If you wanted a full clause with a conjugated verb, you would typically change the structure:

  • Sonho que um dia vou trabalhar no estrangeiro.
  • Sonho que um dia trabalharei no estrangeiro.

These are grammatically correct, but they sound slightly different and are less compact. The pattern sonhar em + infinitive is the standard way to express dream of doing something.

Is continuo present tense? How would I say “I kept dreaming of working abroad” in the past?

Yes, continuo is present indicative, 1st person singular of continuar.

To talk about the past, you have two common options, depending on the nuance:

  1. continuei a sonhar em trabalhar no estrangeiro.
    – preterite: I kept dreaming (viewed as a completed period).

  2. continuava a sonhar em trabalhar no estrangeiro.
    – imperfect: I was still / kept dreaming (ongoing background action in the past).

Both are followed by a sonhar em trabalhar, just like in the present.

How do you pronounce estrangeiro in European Portuguese?

In European Portuguese, estrangeiro is usually pronounced approximately as:

  • [ʃtɾɐ̃ˈʒɐjɾu]

Some tips:

  • The initial es- often sounds just like ʃ (like English sh), so you hear something like shtr- at the start: shtran-.
  • ã is a nasal vowel (like the sound in French sans).
  • gei (the gei in -geiro) sounds like zhay, with a soft zh sound (like the s in measure) plus something close to English ay in day.
  • The final -ro has a light Portuguese r; in many accents it is a soft tap or a slightly guttural sound, and the final o is often quite reduced.

So a rough English approximation would be something like “shtrun-ZHAY-ru”, said quite quickly.