Breakdown of Foi na rapariga da máscara que eu esbarrei.
eu
I
ser
to be
a rapariga
the girl
de
of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)
em
in / on / at
que
who / which / that (relative)
a máscara
the mask
esbarrar
to bump
Questions & Answers about Foi na rapariga da máscara que eu esbarrei.
Why is there a na right after Foi instead of just a?
This is the core of a prepositional cleft sentence. The verb at the end, esbarrar, requires the preposition em (to bump into). When we emphasize who we bumped into using foi ... que (it was ... that), the preposition em must move to the front and attach to the emphasized noun. Since it is a rapariga, em + a becomes na.
Why does the sentence use da máscara instead of com a máscara to mean with the mask?
Is it possible to structure this without fronting the preposition?
You cannot leave a dangling preposition at the end of a sentence in Portuguese. However, another correct way to say this is to attach the preposition to the relative pronoun instead of the emphasized noun: Foi a rapariga da máscara em que eu esbarrei (or em quem). Moving the preposition all the way to the front, as in this sentence, is very natural and common.
Does the verb esbarrar always require the preposition em?
Yes, when you mean to bump into someone or something physically, esbarrar is followed by em. If you bumped into a wall, it would be esbarrei na parede.
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