Breakdown of Temos apanhado as uvas ultimamente.
ter
to have
apanhar
to catch
ultimamente
lately
a uva
the grape
Questions & Answers about Temos apanhado as uvas ultimamente.
Why does temos apanhado translate to "have been picking" instead of "have picked"?
In Portuguese, this tense (the Pretérito Perfeito Composto) is used for actions that started in the past and are still happening or repeating right up to the present. It translates best to the English "have been doing" rather than "have done". If you just wanted to say "We picked the grapes" (a finished action), you would use the simple past: Apanhámos as uvas.
How exactly is temos apanhado constructed?
It is formed using the present tense of the auxiliary verb ter (to have) followed by the past participle of the main verb. Here, temos is "we have", and apanhado is the past participle of apanhar (to pick). Notice that the past participle ends in -ado because apanhar is an -ar verb.
Doesn't the verb apanhar usually mean "to catch"?
Yes, apanhar is very commonly used for "to catch" (like a bus, a cold, or a ball). However, in agricultural or gardening contexts, it also means "to pick", "to harvest", or "to gather", which is why it is used here with as uvas (the grapes).
Why is the word ultimamente used in this sentence?