Questions & Answers about A chuva impediu o jogo.
The verb impedir looks a lot like the English word impede. Does it mean exactly the same thing?
Not exactly. While the English word impede usually just means to slow down or hinder something, the Portuguese impedir is stronger. It generally means to completely prevent or stop something from happening, which is why the game didn't happen at all here.
Why does the past tense impediu end in -iu and not -eu?
Because impedir is an -ir verb. In the simple past tense (pretérito perfeito), regular -ir verbs take the -iu ending for the he/she/it form (like abriu or partiu). Learners often confuse this with -er verbs, which take the -eu ending (like comeu or bebeu).
How would I expand this sentence to say the rain prevented the players FROM playing?
To say you prevented someone from doing an action, you need to use the preposition de before the next verb. You would say A chuva impediu os jogadores de jogar (The rain prevented the players from playing).
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