Breakdown of Ouvimos um trovão durante a escapadinha.
um
a / an / some (all forms)
ouvir
to hear
durante
during
a escapadinha
the getaway
o trovão
the thunder
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"?
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".
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