Breakdown of Ele estava a colar a madeira, mas um degrau está por acabar.
ele
he
mas
but
um
a / an / some (all forms)
estar
to be (temporary / location)
a
to / at (direction)
por
through / by / for / because of
acabar
to finish
a madeira
the wood
o degrau
the step (stair)
colar
to glue
Questions & Answers about Ele estava a colar a madeira, mas um degrau está por acabar.
How does está por acabar differ from just saying ainda não acabou?
The structure estar por + infinitive is an aspectual periphrasis that focuses on the pending nature of a task. While ainda não acabou simply states a fact (it hasn't finished yet), está por acabar emphasizes that the task is outstanding, pending, or waiting to be completed. It is the natural way to say something "is yet to be finished" or "remains to be done".
Why is the active verb acabar translated passively as "to be finished" in English?
The structure estar por is always followed by the active infinitive in Portuguese, regardless of whether the subject performs or receives the action. Literally, um degrau está por acabar means "a step is for finishing." In English, we naturally translate this concept using the passive voice: "a step is yet to be finished."
Why does the sentence switch from the past tense (estava) to the present tense (está)?
The first part uses the imperfect tense to describe an ongoing background action in the past (he was gluing the wood at that specific time). The second part shifts to the present tense to describe the current state resulting from that past action: as of right now, one step still remains unfinished.
Could we use terminar instead of acabar here?
Yes, está por terminar would also be perfectly correct and means exactly the same thing. acabar is just very common in everyday European Portuguese when talking about completing tasks or chores.
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