Breakdown of A Ana não aceitou o reembolso completo, porque preferiu remarcar o voo para outra ilha.
Questions & Answers about A Ana não aceitou o reembolso completo, porque preferiu remarcar o voo para outra ilha.
In European Portuguese, it is very common (almost the default in everyday speech) to use a definite article before a person’s first name:
- A Ana = literally “the Ana”
- O João = “the João”
It often sounds more natural in European Portuguese, especially in informal or neutral contexts.
In English we never use “the” before names, but in Portuguese (Portugal) it:
- can sound warmer or more familiar, and
- is not considered incorrect or rude.
In very formal writing or official documents, the article is often omitted:
- Ana não aceitou o reembolso completo… (also correct, just more neutral/formal).
In Brazilian Portuguese, using the article before names is much less common and can be regional or marked as informal.
The standard position of não (not) in Portuguese is directly before the conjugated verb:
- Ana não aceitou = Ana did not accept
- Ele não foi = He did not go
- Nós não queremos = We do not want
Putting não after the verb (aceitou não) is wrong in standard Portuguese (though you might hear different patterns in some dialects or in emphasis constructions).
So the basic rule is:
não + [conjugated verb] (+ rest of the sentence)
não aceitou o reembolso completo
Both aceitou and preferiu are in the pretérito perfeito (simple past) in Portuguese.
- aceitou = past of aceitar (to accept)
- preferiu = past of preferir (to prefer)
This tense is used for completed actions in the past:
- A Ana não aceitou o reembolso completo
→ She refused/declined it (a completed decision in the past) - …porque preferiu remarcar o voo…
→ She preferred to reschedule (another completed decision in the same past time frame)
Using the imperfeito (aceitava, preferia) would suggest ongoing, repeated, or background actions, which would not match this one-time decision about one specific booking.
In Portuguese, preferir when followed by a verb usually takes that verb in the infinitive without a preposition:
- preferiu remarcar o voo = she preferred to reschedule the flight
- prefiro ficar em casa = I prefer to stay at home
- preferimos comer mais tarde = we prefer to eat later
So:
- ✗ preferiu a remarcar o voo → incorrect
- ✗ preferiu de remarcar o voo → incorrect
You would only see a after preferir when you are explicitly comparing two things:
- Preferiu remarcar o voo a cancelar a viagem.
= She preferred rescheduling the flight to cancelling the trip.
Remarcar literally means “to mark again”, and with flights or appointments it corresponds to reschedule:
- remarcar o voo = reschedule / change the date or time of the flight
- remarcar a consulta = reschedule the appointment
It can sometimes overlap with rebook, but the main idea is changing the existing booking to a new date/time, not starting from scratch.
You could also say:
- alterar a reserva = change the booking
- mudar o voo = change the flight (more informal)
The word is correctly written as voo (without an accent) in modern spelling in both Portugal and Brazil.
- Before the 2009 spelling agreement, Brazilian Portuguese used vôo (with an accent).
- European Portuguese had already been using voo without an accent.
After the orthographic agreement, voo is the standard form in both varieties.
Pronunciation in European Portuguese is roughly [ˈvo.u]: two distinct vowel sounds, like “VO-oo” (not like English “voo” in “voodoo”).
The comma before porque is not always mandatory, but here it is used to separate the main clause from an explanatory causal clause:
- A Ana não aceitou o reembolso completo, porque preferiu remarcar o voo…
This porque means “because” and introduces the reason for the first action.
General idea:
- If the porque-clause is essential to complete the meaning, the comma is often omitted.
- If it is more explanatory/additional, the comma is common (especially in writing).
In everyday writing, you will see both:
- Não aceitei, porque não podia.
- Não aceitei porque não podia.
Both are accepted; the comma just adds a slightly clearer pause and separation.
They all relate to “why/because”, but are used differently:
porque (one word, no accent)
- Meaning: because
- Used to give a reason:
- Não fui porque estava doente. = I didn’t go because I was ill.
por que (two words)
- Usually means why in questions or for which/that:
- Por que não foste? = Why didn’t you go?
- O motivo por que não fui… = the reason why I didn’t go.
- Usually means why in questions or for which/that:
porquê (one word, with accent)
- A noun, meaning the reason:
- Ninguém sabe o porquê. = Nobody knows the reason.
- A noun, meaning the reason:
por quê (two words, accent on quê)
- Used at the end of a question:
- Não foste por quê? = You didn’t go, why?
- Used at the end of a question:
In your sentence, porque is correct because it introduces a reason: because she preferred…
Portuguese uses definite articles much more than English, especially with specific things that have already been mentioned or are understood from context.
- o reembolso completo here refers to that specific full refund being offered by the airline.
Compare:
- Não aceitou o reembolso completo.
= She did not accept the full refund (the one that was offered).
Leaving out the article (Não aceitou reembolso completo) would sound odd or incomplete in standard European Portuguese in this context.
The neutral/default position for adjectives in Portuguese is after the noun:
- reembolso completo = full refund
- voo internacional = international flight
- ilha pequena = small island
Putting the adjective before the noun is possible but:
- often sounds marked, literary, or poetic, or
- slightly changes the nuance or emphasis.
Completo reembolso would sound unusual in normal speech. You might see similar patterns in fixed expressions or very stylized language, but in everyday Portuguese, reembolso completo is the natural order.
Yes, you can say:
- reembolso completo
- reembolso total
- reembolso integral
All three normally mean full refund in this context, and they are very close in meaning.
Nuances (subtle and not always important in real use):
- completo – complete, not partial; everything that is due.
- total – total, 100%; can sound a bit more formal/technical.
- integral – whole, in its entirety; also somewhat formal.
In everyday language, they are often interchangeable here. Airlines and companies might choose one for style or corporate wording.
- outra ilha = another island, unspecified and not previously identified.
- …remarcar o voo para outra ilha.
→ She changed the flight to some other island (we don’t know which one).
- …remarcar o voo para outra ilha.
If you say:
para a outra ilha
→ to the other island, implying there are two islands in mind and we already know which two they are.para uma outra ilha
→ to another island with a bit of extra emphasis on it being a different, alternative island (can sound slightly more emphatic).
In most cases like this, para outra ilha is the most natural and neutral way to say to another island.