Phrase · 🙇 Apologies & excuses
Surgiu um imprevisto e não vou poder ir.
Something came up and I won’t be able to go.
B1cancelling plansAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Surgiu1verbcame upsurgir · past · 3rd sing.umdetermineranmasc. · sing. · indefiniteimprevisto1noununexpected problemmasc. · sing.econjunctionandnãoadverbnotvou2verbI’m going toir · present · 1st sing.poder2verbbe able toinfinitiveirverbgoinfinitive.
- imprevisto → Surgiu: subject
- vou → poder: periphrasis
- poder → ir: governs
Word for word: “Arose an unforeseen-thing and not (I) go to-be-able to-go.”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1Surgiu um imprevisto: the subject comes after the verb, as in Spanish. A polite, vague excuse. Pretérito perfeito: regular verbs →
- 2não vou poder = I won’t be able to: ir + poder + infinitive, no a. ir + infinitive: the spoken future →
Variations
- Tive um imprevisto, não vou conseguir ir.
- Aconteceu um imprevisto, desculpa.
- Infelizmente não vou poder ir.