Catching Yourself in the Act
Have you ever spaced out and suddenly realized you were humming or staring at the wall? In Portuguese, we use a specific phrase to describe catching yourself in the act of doing something subconsciously.
The core structure is: dar (conjugated) + por + reflexive pronoun + a + infinitive verb.
| Sometimes, he suddenly realizes he is humming a song. | Às vezes, ele dá por si a cantarolar uma canção. |
Matching the Pronouns
The pronoun following por must reflect the subject of the sentence. Use mim for eu and nós for nós. For third-person subjects (including ele, ela, você, and their plurals), use the pronoun si.
| Unconsciously, I suddenly realized I was yielding to the impulse. | Inconscientemente, dei por mim a ceder ao impulso. |
| The daydream goes unnoticed until we suddenly realize we are smiling. | O devaneio passa despercebido até darmos por nós a sorrir. |
Catching Your Mind Wandering
You can also replace the pronoun with a noun to describe a specific part of you—like your mind—doing something. Remember to contract por with the noun's definite article (e.g., por + a = pela).
| I suddenly realized my mind was wandering during the meeting. | Dei pela minha mente a vagar durante a reunião. |
Lost in a Daydream
This is especially useful for describing when you're engrossed in an activity or acting out of habit.
| The engrossed girl suddenly realized she was looking fixedly at the screen. | A rapariga absorta deu por si a olhar fixamente para o ecrã. |
| When my mind is wandering, I suddenly realize I am humming. | Quando a minha mente está a vagar, dou por mim a cantarolar. |