Breakdown of Agora, as telas estão limpas e prontas.
e
and
estar
to be (temporary / location)
agora
now
pronto
ready
limpo
clean
a tela
the canvas
Questions & Answers about Agora, as telas estão limpas e prontas.
Why do we use limpas here instead of the regular past participle limpadas?
The verb limpar (to clean) has two past participles: the regular limpado and the irregular limpo. Because we are using the auxiliary verb estar (to describe the state of the canvases), we must use the short, irregular form. The regular form (limpado) is only used with the verbs ter and haver (for example: Eu tinha limpado as telas).
Why do limpas and prontas both end in "-as"?
When irregular past participles like limpo (and adjectives like pronto) are used with ser or estar, they must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. Since as telas (the canvases) is feminine and plural, both words change to their feminine plural forms: limpas and prontas.
Could we use são instead of estão in this sentence?
I usually see ecrãs used for screens. What does telas mean here?
While ecrã is the standard word in Portugal for electronic screens (like a computer or phone), tela specifically refers to a canvas for painting. It can also mean a projector screen or a cinema screen. In this context, it most likely refers to artists' painting canvases.
Learn Agora, as telas estão limpas e prontas and more in Portuguese
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free