Anticipating the Action
When you need to express that something is on the verge of happening, you can use a simple verbal periphrasis. In Portuguese, one of the most common ways to say "to be about to" is by combining the verb estar with para and an infinitive.
| The birth is about to happen in the maternity ward. | O parto está para acontecer na maternidade. |
To form this, just conjugate estar to match the subject, add the preposition para, and leave the main action verb in its infinitive form.
| Don't be impatient, because the contraction is about to start. | Não sejas impaciente, porque a contração está para começar. |
Prestes A
There is another, equally common way to describe an imminent action: estar prestes a (to be about to). It carries the exact same meaning as estar para, but can sometimes feel a bit more immediate.
| The midwife says that she is about to give birth. | A parteira diz que ela está prestes a dar à luz. |
The structure works exactly the same way: conjugate estar, add the fixed phrase prestes a, and follow it with an infinitive verb.
| When the father calms down, the baby is about to be born. | Quando o pai se acalma, o bebé está prestes a nascer. |
Whether the expectant father is panicking or the doctor is finally arriving, you can use either of these expressions to build anticipation for whatever is about to happen next.
| The contraction doesn't stop and the husband is about to scream. | A contração não para e o marido está prestes a gritar. |
| The doctor is about to enter the maternity ward. | O médico está prestes a entrar na maternidade. |