Breakdown of Ele acabou por falar com o caixa.
ele
he
falar
to speak
com
with
acabar por
to end up (doing)
o caixa
the cashier
Questions & Answers about Ele acabou por falar com o caixa.
Why is it o caixa here when the word for "box" is usually a caixa?
This is a perfect example of a dual-gender noun. While a caixa generally means "the box" or "the checkout counter", it can also mean a female cashier. By using the masculine article, o caixa specifically refers to a male cashier. Changing the article completely changes whether we are talking about an object, a female employee, or a male employee.
If o caixa is the male cashier, how do I say "I need to pay at the checkout"?
To refer to the physical cash register, the checkout line, or an ATM, you always use the feminine form: a caixa. For example, Vou pagar na caixa means "I am going to pay at the register." In our sentence, the masculine o is the only clue you need to know he is speaking to a male human, not an inanimate checkout counter.
Why does the sentence use the infinitive falar instead of a gerund like the English translation ("speaking")?
The expression acabar por followed by an infinitive is the standard Portuguese way to translate "to end up doing" something. Even though English uses the "-ing" form here, Portuguese requires the infinitive (falar) after the preposition por. This is a very common structure in European Portuguese that you will use often.
Could I use the verb terminar instead and say ele terminou por falar?
No, that would sound unnatural. While terminar and acabar both generally mean "to finish", the specific idiom expressing that a process eventually led to a certain result strictly uses acabar por.
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