Breakdown of Ainda bem que o comboio parou e escapámos do acidente por um triz.
e
and
de
of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)
o comboio
the train
o
him/it (m)
parar
to stop
o acidente
the accident
escapar
to escape
ainda bem que
it is a good thing that
por um triz
by a whisker
Questions & Answers about Ainda bem que o comboio parou e escapámos do acidente por um triz.
Since 'Ainda bem que' expresses an emotion, why are 'parou' and 'escapámos' in the indicative rather than the subjunctive?
This is the main exception taught in this lesson! While most phrases expressing emotion or judgment trigger the subjunctive, ainda bem que (literally 'still well that') always takes the indicative. The language treats it as stating a concrete reality rather than a subjective feeling: it is a factual good thing that the train actually stopped.
What does the phrase 'por um triz' mean at the end of the sentence?
Why do we say 'escapámos do acidente' instead of just 'escapámos o acidente'?
The verb escapar (to escape) generally requires the preposition de to indicate what it is you are escaping from. In this sentence, the preposition de merges with the masculine definite article o (the) to form the contraction do.
Why is there an accent mark on the word 'escapámos'?
In European Portuguese, the acute accent on the first person plural ('we' form) of regular '-ar' verbs indicates the past tense (Pretérito Perfeito). Without the accent, escapamos would be the present tense. The accent opens the vowel sound, letting the listener instantly know you are talking about an event that already happened.
Learn Ainda bem que o comboio parou e escapámos do acidente por um triz and more in Portuguese
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free