Word
Para passar o tempo, estou a folhear uma revista.
Meaning
To pass the time, I am leafing through a magazine.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Para passar o tempo, estou a folhear uma revista.
um
a / an / some (all forms)
estar
to be (temporary / location)
para
to / for
o tempo
the time
Questions & Answers about Para passar o tempo, estou a folhear uma revista.
Why use para passar instead of por passar to say 'to pass'?
We use para followed by an infinitive verb (like passar) to express purpose or 'in order to'. Here, it means 'In order to pass the time.'
Is passar o tempo a set phrase in Portuguese?
Yes, it is the standard and natural way to say 'pass the time.' It happens to translate perfectly word-for-word from English.
Why does the sentence use estou a folhear instead of just the present tense folheio?
In European Portuguese, we use estar a plus the infinitive to form the present continuous tense. This emphasizes that the action of leafing through the magazine is happening right now in this exact moment, rather than being a general habit.
What is the root word of the verb folhear?
It comes from the noun folha, which means 'leaf' of a plant or 'sheet' of paper. Just like in English, folhear means 'to leaf through' pages.