Word
Eu ia ler a publicação, mas distraí-me.
Meaning
I was going to read the post, but I got distracted.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about Eu ia ler a publicação, mas distraí-me.
Why do we use ia instead of fui here?
Ia is the imperfect tense of ir (to go). Using ia followed by the infinitive ler translates to 'was going to read', showing a past plan or intention that was interrupted. If you used the simple past fui ler, it would mean you actually went and read it.
Why is distraí-me in the simple past instead of the imperfect?
The imperfect (ia ler) sets the background scene by explaining what you were planning to do. The simple past (distraí-me) is used for the sudden, completed action that interrupted your plan.
Does publicação just mean a printed publication?
Not anymore! In modern Portuguese, publicação is the standard word used for a post on social media or a blog, though it still applies to traditional printed publications as well.
Why is the pronoun attached to the end in distraí-me even though it comes right after mas?
The verb here is the reflexive distrair-se (to get distracted). In European Portuguese, pronouns attach to the end of the verb in normal affirmative sentences. The word mas (but) just links two independent ideas together, so it doesn't break this rule or pull the pronoun to the front of the verb like words such as que or não would.