Breakdown of Disseram para nós voltarmos à largada.
nós
we
a
to / at (direction)
voltar
to return
para
to / for
Questions & Answers about Disseram para nós voltarmos à largada.
Why do we use the personal infinitive voltarmos here instead of the subjunctive?
When reporting a command or directive (like "They said to do something"), Portuguese often uses para followed by an infinitive. Because the people who need to return ("we") are different from the people who spoke ("they"), we use the personal infinitive voltarmos to clearly show who is supposed to carry out the action.
Could I just say para voltarmos and drop the nós?
Yes, you can! Because the ending of voltarmos already clearly indicates the "we" form, the pronoun nós is grammatically optional. Including it here just adds a bit of emphasis to highlight exactly who the directive was aimed at.
Why do we return à largada instead of para a largada?
The verb voltar (to return or go back) usually takes the preposition a when referring to the destination you are going back to. Here, a combines with the feminine definite article a to form à. While you will sometimes hear para, voltar a is the most standard and natural choice for returning to a starting point.
Does the word largada have a literal meaning related to its verb form?
Yes, it comes from the verb largar, which means to let go, release, or drop. In the context of a race or competition, a largada is the moment the competitors are "released" to begin, which is why it translates to the starting line or the start of the event.