Phrase · 📖 Telling a story
Eu tinha acabado de sair de casa quando o telefone tocou.
I had just left home when the phone rang.
B1setting the sceneAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
eupronounI1st sing. · subjecttinha1verbhadter · imperfect · 1st sing.acabado1verbjust (finished)acabar · participle · masc. · sing.depreposition(of)sairverbleaveinfinitivedeprepositionfromcasa2nounhomefem. · sing.quandoconjunctionwhenodeterminerthemasc. · sing. · definitetelefonenounphonemasc. · sing.tocou3verbrangtocar · past · 3rd sing..
- eu → tinha: subject
- tinha → acabado: periphrasis
- acabado → de: preposition
- acabado → sair: periphrasis
- telefone → tocou: subject
Word for word: “I had finished of to-leave from home when the phone rang.”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1tinha acabado de + infinitive = had just done: acabar de in the pluperfect. Aspectual periphrases I: começar a, parar de, voltar a… →
- 2sair de casa = to leave home, with no article: de casa, em casa.
- 3tocar = to ring (a phone, a bell) or to play (music).
Variations
- Eu tinha acabado de sair quando o telefone tocou.
- Eu mal tinha saído de casa quando o telefone tocou.
- Eu acabava de sair de casa quando o celular tocou.