Breakdown of Há muitos azulejos que estão por colocar na casa de banho.
muito
much / very
haver
to be (there is / there are)
estar
to be (temporary / location)
em
in / on / at
a
to / at (direction)
a casa de banho
the bathroom
por
through / by / for / because of
que
who / which / that (relative)
colocar
to place, to position
o azulejo
the tile
Questions & Answers about Há muitos azulejos que estão por colocar na casa de banho.
How does estão por colocar translate to a passive phrase ("to be placed") when colocar is an active verb?
The structure estar por + infinitive is a periphrasis (a multi-word phrase acting as one verb) that describes a pending action. It implies the action is "waiting to happen." When the subject is the object receiving the action (like the azulejos), Portuguese uses the active infinitive where English naturally switches to the passive "to be placed."
How is this different from just saying que ainda não foram colocados (that haven't been placed yet)?
While they express a similar fact, estão por colocar emphasizes that the task is actively pending or on a to-do list. It carries a strong expectation that the action will happen. Ainda não foram colocados is just a neutral statement of fact about what hasn't happened up to this point.
Could I use the verb pôr instead of colocar here?
Is casa de banho the only acceptable term for "bathroom" in Portugal?
Yes, casa de banho is the standard and universal term in European Portuguese for a bathroom, restroom, or toilet in a home or public place. At a B2 level, it is crucial to remember to avoid the Brazilian Portuguese word banheiro, which in Portugal actually refers to a lifeguard!
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