Breakdown of Acabei de encomendar o bolo, só que ainda não recebi a confirmação.
não
not / no
o bolo
the cake
receber
to receive
ainda
still / yet / even (with comparatives)
acabar de
to have just (done something)
só que
but (except that) / only that
encomendar
to order (goods or services)
a confirmação
the confirmation
Questions & Answers about Acabei de encomendar o bolo, só que ainda não recebi a confirmação.
Why use só que here instead of mas, and does it need the subjunctive?
Só que is a very common conversational alternative to mas (but) or no entanto (however). It literally translates to 'only that' or 'except that'. Unlike some conjunctions that introduce doubt or contrast and trigger the subjunctive, só que introduces a factual statement, so it takes the indicative mood. Here, it is naturally followed by the indicative recebi.
Why is the simple past recebi translated as 'haven't received' instead of 'didn't receive'?
In Portuguese, the simple past (pretérito perfeito) is used for single, completed past actions. While English uses the present perfect ('haven't received') to connect a past event to the present, Portuguese simply states the past fact: you didn't receive it, modified by ainda não (not yet). Using the Portuguese present perfect (não tenho recebido) would incorrectly mean 'I haven't been receiving' (a continuous or repeated lack of action).
How does acabei de encomendar mean 'I just ordered'?
The structure acabar de + infinitive is the standard way to express that you have just completed an action. While acabar normally means 'to finish', conjugating it in the simple past (acabei) and adding de plus the main verb (encomendar) shifts the meaning from 'I finished ordering' to 'I just ordered'.
Could I place ainda at the end of the sentence, like in English?
It is much more natural in Portuguese to keep ainda não together as a block directly before the verb (ainda não recebi). Placing ainda at the very end of the sentence is grammatically possible but sounds clunky and is much less common in everyday European Portuguese.
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