Breakdown of Importas-te de fechar a janela?
a janela
the window
fechar
to close
importar-se de
to mind (doing)
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Portuguese (Portugal) grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Importas-te de fechar a janela?
Why is there a -te attached to the verb here? Can I just say Importas de fechar...?
Why do we need the preposition de right before the verb fechar?
The verb importar-se requires the preposition de when it connects to another action. If you want to say to mind doing something, the fixed structure you need to learn is importar-se de followed by an infinitive verb.
The English translation uses the -ing word closing. Why doesn't Portuguese use the continuous form fechando?
In Portuguese, whenever a verb comes directly after a preposition (like de in this sentence), it must always be in its infinitive or dictionary form (fechar). You cannot use gerunds (like fechando) after prepositions in Portuguese.
Is this a good phrase to use if I want to politely ask a stranger to close the window?