Breakdown of O jogador correu de encontro ao adversário e eles chocaram.
e
and
eles
they (m)
correr
to run
o jogador
the player
o adversário
the opponent
de encontro a
against (colliding with)
chocar
to collide
Questions & Answers about O jogador correu de encontro ao adversário e eles chocaram.
Why does this sentence use de encontro ao instead of ao encontro do?
The phrase de encontro a expresses opposition, physical collision, or disagreement. Because the players physically crashed into each other (chocaram), we use de encontro a. If the player had run towards the opponent to greet them peacefully, you would use ao encontro de instead.
Where exactly does the ao in de encontro ao come from?
It is the contraction of the preposition a (which belongs to the fixed phrase de encontro a) and the masculine definite article o belonging to o adversário.
I learned that chocar means to shock. Why is it translated as collided?
While chocar can mean to shock or appall someone emotionally, its primary physical meaning is to collide, crash, or bump into. In this sports context, it perfectly describes the physical impact.
Would it be wrong to say correu contra o adversário?
Not wrong at all! correu contra also means ran against or ran into. However, de encontro a is a natural B2-level expression that specifically highlights the opposing trajectory leading up to the physical impact.
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