Breakdown of O comboio não chega, por isso a rapariga acaba por pedir uma boleia.
a rapariga
the girl
não
not / no
um
a / an / some (all forms)
o comboio
the train
por
through / by / for / because of
chegar
to arrive
pedir
to ask for
por isso
therefore / so (for that reason)
acabar por
to end up (doing)
a boleia
the ride
Questions & Answers about O comboio não chega, por isso a rapariga acaba por pedir uma boleia.
How does acaba por pedir mean 'ends up asking'?
The phrase acabar por followed by an infinitive verb, like pedir, is used to say someone 'ends up' doing something as a final result. Because the train did not arrive, her ultimate action was asking for a ride.
Why do we use the preposition por here instead of de with the verb acabar?
Changing the preposition changes the meaning completely! Acabar por means to 'end up' doing something. If the sentence used acaba de pedir, it would mean the girl 'has just finished' asking for a ride.
Does por isso always mean 'therefore'?
Is pedir uma boleia the normal way to say 'ask for a ride' in Portugal?
Exactly. In European Portuguese, uma boleia is a lift or a ride in a vehicle. You use the verb pedir when you want to ask for a ride, and dar if you are the one giving the ride, as in dar uma boleia.
Learn O comboio não chega, por isso a rapariga acaba por pedir uma boleia 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