O diretor pediu para a turma entrar na sala depois do recreio.

Here, pediu para means something like asked or told someone to do something.

So:

• pedir = to ask, request
• pedir para + infinitive = to ask for an action to be done

In this sentence, the idea is that the director asked/instructed the class to go into the classroom after recess.

It is understandable, but in European Portuguese many speakers would more naturally say:

• O diretor pediu à turma para entrar na sala depois do recreio.
• O diretor pediu à turma que entrasse na sala depois do recreio.

That is because in Portugal, when you mention the person being asked, pedir a alguém para + infinitive or pedir a alguém que + subjunctive is often preferred.

So the sentence you have is understandable, but pediu à turma... is often more idiomatic in Portugal.

Because after pedir para, Portuguese commonly uses an infinitive to express the action requested.

Here, a turma is the one doing the action of entrar.

So the structure is basically:

• pedir para + someone + infinitive

In more European-style phrasing, you also often get:

• pedir a alguém para + infinitive
• pedir a alguém que + subjunctive

For example:

• O diretor pediu à turma para entrar.
• O diretor pediu à turma que entrasse.

All of these express the requested action.

Turma usually means class, group of students, or sometimes just group depending on context.

In this sentence, a turma means the class of students. It does not mean the physical classroom; it means the people.

So:

• a turma = the class, the group of pupils/students

Portuguese uses definite articles more often than English.

Here, a turma means the class, referring to a specific class that is known in the context. In Portuguese, the article is normally required.

So English and Portuguese line up like this:

• the class = a turma

Also notice that if you use the more European phrasing à turma, that comes from:

• a = to
• a turma = the class

These combine into à turma.

Na is a contraction:

• em + a = na

So:

• na sala = in the room / into the room

After entrar, Portuguese often uses em:

• entrar na sala = to enter the room / go into the room

Even though na literally looks like in the, in English we often translate it more naturally as into the with a verb like enter.

In a school context, sala usually means classroom.

So although sala can generally mean room, here na sala will normally be understood as into the classroom.

If someone wanted to be more explicit, they could say:

• sala de aula = classroom

But just sala is very common when the school context is already clear.

In Portugal, recreio commonly means recess or break time at school.

So depois do recreio means after recess or after the break.

This is a very common school-related word in European Portuguese.

Because do is a contraction of:

• de + o = do

The phrase is:

• depois de = after
• o recreio = the recess / the break

So:

• depois do recreio = after the break

This kind of contraction is extremely common in Portuguese.

Yes. Portuguese allows some flexibility with this kind of time expression.

For example:

• Depois do recreio, o diretor pediu à turma para entrar na sala.
• O diretor pediu à turma para entrar na sala depois do recreio.

Both are natural. The version with depois do recreio at the end is very normal and sounds smooth.

Grammatically, pediu means asked or requested, but in real school contexts it can function like a polite instruction.

So depending on tone and situation, it may be softer than a direct command, but still carry authority.

If you wanted something stronger, you might use a verb like mandar:

• O diretor mandou a turma entrar... = The director ordered the class to go in...

So pediu sounds more neutral or polite than a strict command.