Phrase · 🧩 Everyday idioms
Depois de tanta promessa, ele ficou a ver navios.
After so many promises, he was left empty-handed.
C2telling about disappointmentAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Depoisadverbafterdeprepositionof, fromtanta1determinerso muchtanto · fem. · sing.promessa1nounpromisefem. · sing.,elepronounhe, it3rd sing.ficou2verbwas leftficar · past · 3rd sing.a2preposition(to)ver2verbwatchinfinitivenavios2nounshipsnavio · masc. · pl..
- ficou → navios: ficar a ver navios = left empty-handed
- tanta → promessa: tanta promessa (generic singular)
Word for word: “…he was left watching ships.”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1Generic singular after «tanto»: tanta promessa = so many promises.
- 2«ficar a ver navios» is a frozen phrase: one of the rare «a» + infinitive survivals in Brazil.