Breakdown of A casa está silenciosa. Agarro o casaco e vou-me embora.
e
and
a casa
the house
estar
to be (temporary / location)
o casaco
the coat
ir-se embora
to go away
silencioso
silent
agarrar
to grab
Questions & Answers about A casa está silenciosa. Agarro o casaco e vou-me embora.
How does the phrase "vou-me embora" work here?
Why is the pronoun attached to the end of the verb as "vou-me"?
In European Portuguese, pronouns normally attach to the end of the verb in affirmative sentences. Even though the word e (and) connects the two phrases, it does not force the pronoun to jump in front of the verb like trigger words such as que or não do. Therefore, the pronoun stays attached to the end: e vou-me embora.
Can I just say "vou embora" without the "-me"?
In everyday spoken Portuguese, people sometimes drop the pronoun and just say vou embora. However, the standard grammatical form is the full pronominal verb ir-se embora. At this level, it is best to practice using the pronoun so you get used to the pattern: vou-me embora, vais-te embora, vai-se embora, and so on.
Why use "está silenciosa" instead of "é silenciosa"? Isn't a house usually quiet?
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