Breakdown of Andamos para levar este casaco à lavandaria.
o casaco
the coat
a
to / at (direction)
este
this (este, esta, estes, estas)
o
him/it (m)
levar
to take (somewhere)
andar para
to have been meaning to
a lavandaria
the dry cleaner's
Questions & Answers about Andamos para levar este casaco à lavandaria.
Why does andamos para levar translate to "have been meaning to take" rather than something about walking?
In this structure, andar loses its literal meaning of "to walk". The phrase andar para followed by an infinitive like levar expresses a delayed intention. It shows that you have been intending or planning to do something for a while, but haven't actually gotten around to doing it yet.
Why is the present tense verb andamos used here when the English translation says "have been meaning"?
In Portuguese, a state or intention that started in the past and continues into the present is typically expressed using the present tense. Because this structure implies a continuous, unresolved intention leading right up to the current moment, the present tense andamos perfectly captures the English present perfect continuous.
What would happen to the meaning if I used the preposition a instead of para here?
Changing the preposition completely changes the aspect of the sentence! As you may remember from earlier lessons, andar a + infinitive expresses an ongoing, repeated action, so andamos a levar means "we have been taking". Using para instead creates the delayed intention meaning: "we have been meaning to take".
Does lavandaria specifically mean a dry cleaner's, or just a regular laundromat?
In Portugal, a lavandaria covers both! It is a general term for a laundry business that typically offers both standard washing and dry cleaning services. The English translation specifies "dry cleaner's" here simply because that is where you would normally take a casaco (coat) to be cleaned.
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