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O devaneio passa despercebido até darmos por nós a sorrir.

O devaneio passa despercebido até darmos por nós a sorrir.
The daydream goes unnoticed until we suddenly realize we are smiling.
From Lesson 334:Sudden realization (dar por si a)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about O devaneio passa despercebido até darmos por nós a sorrir.

How does the phrase darmos por nós a sorrir translate to suddenly realizing we are smiling?
This sentence highlights the structure dar por + reflexive pronoun + a + infinitive. In Portuguese, this specific combination is used to express catching yourself in the middle of an action or suddenly becoming aware that you are doing something. Here, dar is conjugated in the personal infinitive (darmos) to show the subject is we, followed by the prepositional reflexive pronoun nós, and finally a sorrir (smiling).
Why is darmos in the personal infinitive? Doesn't the word até usually trigger the subjunctive?
The preposition até on its own is followed by an infinitive. We use the personal infinitive (darmos) here because we need to explicitly state who is doing the action (we). You only use the subjunctive if you add que to make it a conjunction, which would be até que demos. Using até plus the personal infinitive is highly common and often preferred because it is more direct.
Why do we use the pronoun nós in this periphrasis instead of the standard reflexive pronoun nos?
Because the pronoun comes immediately after the preposition por. In Portuguese, prepositions must be followed by stressed prepositional pronouns. Therefore, the unstressed reflexive nos changes to the stressed nós, exactly as it does in standard phrases like para nós or de nós.
I have seen the word desapercebido before. Is it just a different spelling of despercebido?
They are often mixed up even by native speakers, but traditionally they have different meanings. Despercebido means unnoticed or without drawing attention, which perfectly fits a passing daydream. Desapercebido, on the other hand, means unprepared or unsupplied. To sound precise at a B2 level, it is best to stick to despercebido when you mean unnoticed.

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