Gerund and participle clauses (chegando, terminado o jantar)
Portuguese can shorten clauses with a gerund (Chegando em casa, liguei) or a participle (Terminado o jantar, saímos). They are typical of written and careful speech.
| construction | meaning | example |
|---|---|---|
| gerund | when, because, if, by | Saindo agora, chegamos a tempo. |
| tendo + participle | after having done | Tendo terminado o curso, viajou. |
| participle (agrees) | once … had been done | Terminada a reunião, fomos almoçar. |
| estando + adj. | being (temporary state) | Estando cansado, fui dormir. |
| uma vez + participle | once | Uma vez pago o boleto, o pedido é enviado. |
Points to watch
- The participle agrees with its noun: Terminadas as aulas, Dados os resultados.
- The gerund refers to the subject of the main clause; otherwise state its own subject: Chegando o verão, as praias enchem.
- After a noun, a relative clause is usually more natural than an English-style gerund: o homem que fala com a Ana.
- “Being tired” is estando cansado or simply Cansado, …: ser/estar still apply.
Examples
- Chegando ao hotel, ligue para mim.When you get to the hotel, call me.
- Tendo visto o filme, não quis ler o livro.Having seen the film, I didn’t want to read the book.
- Feitas as malas, saímos.With the bags packed, we left.
- Estudando todos os dias, você vai passar.If you study every day, you will pass.
- Cansada, ela foi deitar-se cedo.Tired, she went to bed early.
Common mistakes
- ✗ Terminado a reunião, fomos almoçar.✓ Terminada a reunião, fomos almoçar.In a participle clause the participle agrees with its noun, here feminine reunião; English “the meeting over” has nothing to agree.
- ✗ Tendo terminando o trabalho, saiu.✓ Tendo terminado o trabalho, saiu.tendo is followed by the participle terminado; two gerunds in a row copy the English “-ing” on both words.
- ✗ Tendo chegada tarde, a Ana perdeu o início.✓ Tendo chegado tarde, a Ana perdeu o início.After tendo the participle belongs to a compound tense with ter and does not agree; only absolute participles such as terminada a reunião agree with their noun.
- ✗ Ao chegando, ela ligou.✓ Ao chegar, ela ligou.ao is followed by the infinitive; a gerund can stand alone (Chegando, …) but never after ao.
- ✗ Sendo cansado, fui dormir.✓ Estando cansado, fui dormir.Tiredness is a temporary state, so the gerund is estando; English “being tired” hides the ser/estar choice.