Phrase · 💬 Catching up & small talk
Tô pensando em voltar a estudar.
I’m thinking about going back to school.
B1sharing plansinformalpt-BR-spAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Tô1verbI’mestar · present · 1st sing.pensando1verbthinkingpensar · gerundem2prepositionaboutvoltar3verbgoing backinfinitivea3prepositiontoestudarverbstudyinfinitive.
- Tô → pensando: periphrasis
- pensando → em: preposition
- voltar → estudar: periphrasis
- voltar → a: preposition
Word for word: “(I)’m thinking in to-return to study.”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1Tô pensando = estou pensando: tô is the spoken form; write estou. estar + gerund (progressive) →
- 2pensar em = to think about, consider: em, the same preposition as Spanish en. Verbs with prepositions (regência I) →
- 3voltar a + infinitive = to start doing something again (Spanish volver a). Aspectual periphrases I: começar a, parar de, voltar a… →
Variations
- Estou pensando em voltar a estudar.
- Tô querendo voltar a estudar.
- Tô pensando em fazer faculdade.