Breakdown of Que surpresa, vocês estão a fofocar sem mim!
vocês
you (pl)
estar
to be (temporary / location)
que
what (before a noun)
mim
me (after prepositions)
sem
without
a surpresa
the surprise
fofocar
to gossip
Questions & Answers about Que surpresa, vocês estão a fofocar sem mim!
Why is there no uma after Que? In English we say 'What a surprise'.
In Portuguese exclamations, Que is followed directly by the noun or adjective, without an indefinite article. So 'What a surprise!' is simply Que surpresa!, just like 'What a good idea!' is Que boa ideia!.
Since expressing emotion or surprise is a subjunctive trigger, why is estão in the indicative here?
Expressions of surprise do trigger the subjunctive when they are connected to a subordinate clause by the conjunction que (for example, É uma surpresa que vocês estejam a fofocar). However, in this sentence, the exclamation (Que surpresa) and the observation (vocês estão a fofocar) are two completely independent statements separated by a comma. Without the conjunction linking them, the second clause just states a fact in the indicative.
Why do we use mim instead of me or eu at the end of the sentence?
Because sem is a preposition, it must be followed by a prepositional (or 'tonic') pronoun, which is mim for the first person. You only use eu after a preposition if you are the active subject of a following verb (like sem eu saber - 'without me knowing'). The pronoun me is an object pronoun used strictly as a direct or indirect object attached to verbs, not prepositions.
Is fofocar the only way to say 'to gossip' in European Portuguese?
Fofocar is very common and universally understood, but in Portugal you will also frequently hear the verb coscuvilhar, which means to gossip or to be nosy. A person who gossips a lot can be called um fofoqueiro or um coscuvilheiro.
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