Temos comprado muito barro para a olaria.
We have been buying a lot of clay for the pottery workshop.
Breakdown of Temos comprado muito barro para a olaria.
muito
much / very
ter
to have
comprar
to buy
para
to / for
Questions & Answers about Temos comprado muito barro para a olaria.
Why does temos comprado translate to 'have been buying' rather than 'have bought'?
In Portuguese, this tense (the Pretérito Perfeito Composto, formed with temos + comprado) specifically describes an action that started in the past and is repeating or continuing up to the present. It means you have been buying clay repeatedly over a period of time, not just in one single completed purchase.
Could I use the simple past comprámos instead?
You would use the simple past comprámos if you were talking about a single, finished event in the past (like 'we bought clay yesterday'). By choosing temos comprado, the speaker highlights the ongoing, repetitive habit of buying it lately.
Why is it muito barro and not muitos barros?