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was about to

[wəz əˈbaʊt tuː]
verb phrase
estava prestes a / estava para
1. Used to indicate that someone was on the verge of doing something; about to happen in the immediate future (past tense)
I was about to leave when the phone rang.
Eu estava prestes a sair quando o telefone tocou.
2. Expressing an action that was imminent but did not occur
She was about to speak when he interrupted her.
Ela estava para falar quando ele a interrompeu.
Synonyms
was on the verge ofwas going towas on the point ofwas almostwas just about to
Antonyms
had just finishedhad already donewas far from doing

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
estava prestes a / estava para
Both forms are commonly used in Brazilian Portuguese
São Paulo
estava prestes a
More formal usage preferred
Portugal
estava prestes a / estava a ponto de
Both forms acceptable in European Portuguese

Related Idioms & Phrases

on the verge of
at the edge of
on the brink of
ready to go
just about to
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