Breakdown of A camisola de lã está a desgastar-se como se fosse velha.
ser
to be
de
of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)
estar
to be (temporary / location)
velho
old
a
to / at (direction)
se
himself / herself / themselves
a camisola
the sweater
a lã
the wool
como se
as if
desgastar
to wear out
Questions & Answers about A camisola de lã está a desgastar-se como se fosse velha.
Why is se used in desgastar-se if the sweater isn't wearing itself out on purpose?
This is the anti-causative or middle voice. The verb desgastar usually means to wear something out (like friction wearing down a shoe). Adding se shows the sweater is simply undergoing this process on its own. In English, we just say 'it is wearing out,' but Portuguese needs se to show the sweater isn't wearing something else out.
Why do we use the imperfect subjunctive fosse instead of the past tense era?
The phrase como se (as if) always triggers the imperfect subjunctive because it sets up a hypothetical or unreal comparison. The sweater isn't actually old, but it looks that way, so we use fosse to mark the situation as contrary to reality.
Since the sweater looks old right now, why use fosse (from ser) instead of estivesse (from estar)?
Age and permanent physical conditions use ser, not estar. Once an object becomes old, it stays old, so being velha is treated as a permanent characteristic rather than a temporary state.
Could the pronoun se go before the main verb, like está-se a desgastar?
Yes! In European Portuguese, when you use estar a followed by an infinitive, you can attach the pronoun either to the end of the infinitive (está a desgastar-se) or to the auxiliary verb (está-se a desgastar). Both are common and perfectly correct.
What is the difference between desgastar-se and just gastar-se here?
While both can mean 'to wear out,' desgastar-se specifically emphasizes the physical deterioration, fraying, or erosion of a material over time. Gastar-se is broader and is often used for things that simply get used up, like batteries, energy, or money.
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