The Never-Ending To-Do List
When doing house renovations, it often feels like the work is never finished. To talk about tasks that are incomplete, pending, or "yet to be done" in Portuguese, we use a simple structure:
estar (conjugated) + por + infinitive verb
Because we are usually talking about the objects receiving the action, estar will conjugate to match the item that is waiting to be worked on, while the action itself stays in the infinitive.
| There are many tiles that are yet to be placed in the bathroom. | Há muitos azulejos que estão por colocar na casa de banho. |
| The plumber did not arrive today, so the pipe is yet to be repaired. | O canalizador não chegou hoje, portanto o tubo está por arranjar. |
Still Pending
You will frequently see this structure paired with the word ainda (still) to emphasize that an action is still waiting to be completed.
| The skirting board is still yet to be varnished. | O rodapé ainda está por envernizar. |
| The door handle is still yet to be chosen. | O puxador da porta ainda está por escolher. |
Checking the Backlog
This pattern is incredibly useful for tracking any backlog of tasks. Whether you are dealing with broken stairs (degraus), hardware like a hinge (dobradiça), or electrical fixtures like a switch (interruptor), just plug the pending action in after estar por.
| There are two steps that are yet to be repaired on the stairs. | Há dois degraus que estão por arranjar nas escadas. |
| Are the hinge and the handle still yet to be tightened? | A dobradiça e o puxador ainda estão por apertar? |
| Since he did not come, the switch is yet to be put in. | Como ele não veio, o interruptor está por colocar. |