Breakdown of Por isso, fiquei de comprar o livro no formato digital.
o livro
the book
em
in / on / at
comprar
to buy
por isso
therefore / so (for that reason)
ficar de
to agree to (do something)
o formato
the format
digital
digital
Questions & Answers about Por isso, fiquei de comprar o livro no formato digital.
Why does fiquei de mean 'I agreed to' here? Normally ficar means 'to stay' or 'to become'.
When you use the verb ficar followed by the preposition de and an infinitive verb (like comprar), it forms a special verbal phrase meaning to arrange, promise, or agree to do something. So fiquei de comprar means 'I agreed to buy' or 'I made an arrangement to buy'.
Can I leave out the word de and just say fiquei comprar?
No, the preposition de is the glue that makes this specific phrase work. Without it, fiquei just means 'I stayed' or 'I became', and you cannot attach an infinitive directly to it. You must always use ficar de + infinitive for an agreed action.
Why is fiquei in the simple past tense (Pretérito Perfeito) instead of the past continuous (Imperfeito)?
Making an agreement or deciding on an arrangement is usually a single, completed action in the past, which is why the simple past is used here. If you were talking about an arrangement you used to make repeatedly, you would use the Imperfeito and say ficava de.
Does por isso always mean 'therefore'?
Why does the sentence use no formato digital instead of just em formato digital?
Both are correct and widely used. Using no (which is the preposition em combined with the definite article o) makes it slightly more specific, translating closer to 'in the digital format'. Using just em sounds more like the general concept of 'in digital format'.
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