Breakdown of Vês a papelada a arquivar pela secretária?
a
to / at (direction)
ver
to see
por
through / by / for / because of
a secretária
the desk (also: secretary)
a papelada
the paperwork
arquivar
to file
Questions & Answers about Vês a papelada a arquivar pela secretária?
How does a arquivar function in this sentence?
It acts as an adnominal modifier, meaning it describes the noun right before it (a papelada). By using the preposition a followed by the infinitive arquivar, it expresses a pending action. In English, this translates to 'to file' or 'to be filed'.
Could pela secretária also mean 'by the secretary'?
Yes, it absolutely could! The word secretária means both 'desk' and 'female secretary'. Furthermore, the preposition por (which combines with a to form pela here) can indicate both a physical location like 'around' or 'through', and the agent of an action like 'by'. You rely entirely on context to know which meaning is intended.
Could I use para instead of a before the infinitive here?
Yes, saying a papelada para arquivar is also perfectly correct and means the same thing. However, using a plus the infinitive is a very natural and common way in Portuguese to describe an object by the action that still needs to be done to it.
Where does the word papelada come from?
It is a collective noun meaning 'paperwork' or a 'pile of papers'. In Portuguese, adding the suffix -ada to a root noun often indicates a large quantity, a group, or an excess of that original thing. Here, it is built from the noun papel (paper).
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