Vou parar na bomba de gasolina antes de ir para casa.

Vou parar is the very common ir + infinitive future, like I’m going to stop in English.

So:

• vou parar = I’m going to stop / I’ll stop
• paro = I stop / I am stopping depending on context
• pararei = I will stop in the simple future, which is correct but less common in everyday speech

In spoken Portuguese, especially in everyday situations, vou + infinitive is very natural.

Here, parar means to stop or to stop by somewhere.

In this sentence, it suggests the speaker will make a stop at the petrol station before going home. It does not necessarily mean stopping forever or quitting something. It is simply a physical stop during a journey.

Na is the contraction of:

• em = in / at
• a = the (feminine singular)

So:

• em + a = na

Because bomba is a feminine noun, Portuguese uses a, and that gives na bomba de gasolina = at the petrol pump / at the petrol station.

Literally, bomba de gasolina means petrol pump.

But in everyday speech, it can sometimes refer to the place where you stop for fuel, depending on context. Still, many learners should know that:

• posto de gasolina = petrol station / gas station is often the clearer term for the whole station
• bomba de gasolina = more literally pump

So this sentence may sound like I’m going to stop at the petrol station in normal use, but the literal wording points to the pump.

This is a very common Portuguese structure: noun + de + noun.

Here:

• bomba = pump
• de gasolina = of petrol / for petrol

So bomba de gasolina means petrol pump.

Portuguese often uses de where English uses a noun directly in front of another noun:

• estação de comboio = train station
• copo de água = glass of water
• bomba de gasolina = petrol pump

Because antes is followed by de before an infinitive.

So:

• antes de ir = before going / before I go

This is the normal structure in Portuguese:

• antes de sair = before leaving
• antes de comer = before eating
• antes de ir para casa = before going home

You cannot normally say antes ir in standard Portuguese.

After antes de, Portuguese uses the infinitive.

So the second verb appears as ir, not vou.

The idea is:

• before going home

not

• before I am going home

Portuguese often uses the infinitive after prepositions like de, para, sem, and por.

Portuguese often leaves out subject pronouns when the verb already makes the subject clear.

Here:

• vou already shows it is I

So (eu) vou parar is possible, but eu is usually unnecessary unless you want emphasis or contrast.

For example:

• Vou parar... = normal
• Eu vou parar, não tu. = I’m going to stop, not you.

Casa often works like home in English when it means one’s own home.

So:

• ir para casa = to go home

No article is used in this very common expression.

But if you mean a specific house, then the article can appear:

• vou para a casa da Ana = I’m going to Ana’s house
• vou para a casa nova = I’m going to the new house

So:

• para casa = home
• para a casa = to the house

Yes. That is a very natural English rendering.

Depending on context, this part could be understood as:

• before going home
• before I go home
• before heading home

All are good natural translations of antes de ir para casa.

Not exactly.

In Portuguese from Portugal:

• gasolina = petrol / gasoline
• gás = gas in the sense of a substance, like cooking gas or natural gas

So English speakers should be careful not to confuse:

• gas in American English = fuel for a car
• gás in Portuguese = gas, not gasoline
• gasolina = gasoline/petrol

Yes, it is understandable and natural enough, especially in conversation.

That said, some speakers might more naturally say:

• Vou parar no posto de gasolina antes de ir para casa.

because posto de gasolina more clearly means petrol station.

So the original sentence is fine, but learners should know that posto de gasolina is often the more straightforward choice for the whole station.

Yes. In this context, it usually means a temporary stop during a trip.

Because the sentence continues with antes de ir para casa, the listener understands that the speaker is stopping somewhere first and then continuing home.

So the timeline is:

1. stop at the petrol station/pump
2. then go home

It breaks down like this:

• Vou parar = I’m going to stop
• na bomba de gasolina = at the petrol pump / station
• antes de ir para casa = before going home

So the full structure is:

future intention + place + time sequence

That is a very common and useful pattern in Portuguese:

• Vou passar no supermercado antes de ir para casa.
• Vou ligar-te antes de sair.
• Vou descansar antes de voltar ao trabalho.