Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Ouvimos um trovão durante a escapadinha.

Ouvimos um trovão durante a escapadinha.

We heard thunder during the getaway.

Breakdown of Ouvimos um trovão durante a escapadinha.

a / an / some (all forms)

Questions & Answers about Ouvimos um trovão durante a escapadinha.

How do we know ouvimos is in the past tense here, since it's also the present tense form?

For -ir verbs like ouvir, the nós form is identical in the present tense and the simple past (Pretérito Perfeito). You have to rely on context. Here, referring to a specific event that happened durante a escapadinha (during the getaway) points to it being a completed action in the past.

Why does the Portuguese sentence use um trovão when the English translation just says "thunder"?

In English, "thunder" is mostly uncountable, but in Portuguese, trovão is a countable noun. Saying um trovão refers to a single instance of thunder, much like saying "a clap of thunder" or "a roll of thunder" in English.

Is escapadinha a common word, or is it just a cute way of saying "escape"?

It is extremely common! While it is literally the diminutive of escapada (escape), escapadinha is the standard, everyday term used in Portugal for a "getaway", a "short trip", or a "weekend break".

How would I rewrite this sentence using this lesson's grammar to say "We might hear thunder during the getaway"?

You would say Somos capazes de ouvir um trovão durante a escapadinha. While ser capaz de literally translates to "to be capable of", native speakers in Portugal constantly use it with an infinitive to express probability, meaning "might" or "is likely to".