Breakdown of A bruxa derramou o sal antes de sair.
sair
to go out
o sal
the salt
antes de
before
a bruxa
the witch
Questions & Answers about A bruxa derramou o sal antes de sair.
Since we are learning about pronoun placement, how would I say 'The witch spilled it before leaving'?
You would say A bruxa derramou-o antes de sair. Even though this lesson focuses on 'magnet' words (like subordinating conjunctions) that pull the pronoun before the verb, A bruxa is just a regular subject. Since there is no magnet word before the main verb, the pronoun attaches normally to the end of the verb.
Why do we use the infinitive sair here to mean 'leaving'?
In Portuguese, prepositions like de are almost always followed by the infinitive form of a verb. So antes de (before) + sair (to leave) is the standard way to say 'before leaving'. Portuguese doesn't use the equivalent of an '-ing' word after prepositions.
How is the x in bruxa pronounced?
In bruxa, the letter x makes a 'sh' sound, just like in the English word 'shoe'. So the word is pronounced roughly like 'broo-sha'.
Why is it derramou and what tense is this?
Derramou is the simple past tense (pretérito perfeito) of the regular verb derramar (to spill). It is in the 'ele/ela' form to match a bruxa, showing that this was a single, completed action in the past.