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21.4.4 em frente de, diante de, à frente de

The situation in English is a little bit complicated, because the adverb is completely different from the preposition.

preposition:	The car is in front of the door.
adverb: (actually it is a pronominal adverb)	He stays before.

Furthermore English distinguish between mouvement and static position.

static position: He stays at the front.

mouvement: He goes ahead.

To all these different English adverbs and prepositions correspond something with frente.


In Portuguese we get the adverb that corresponds to the preposition by leaving out the de.

em frente de or em frente a (preposition in front of / at the other side), em frente (in front of / at the other side) both cannot be used in a metaphorical sense
preposition:	O museu fica em frente do jardim.
	=> The museum is located in front of the garden.
adverb: (pronominal adverb):	Um edifício alto está sendo construído em frente.
	=> At the other side they are constructing a high building.
à frente de (ahead), à frente (before) as well in metaphorical sense
preposition:	Ele era à frente de seu tempo.
	=> He was ahead of his time.
adverb:	O acidente foi provocado por causa de outro veículo que estava à frente e freou bruscamente.
	=> The accident was caused by a car before that suddenly braked.
para a frente de (in front of), para frente (forward) as well in metaphorical sense
preposition:	Ele saltou para a frente de um comboio.
	=> He jumped in front of a train.
adverb:	A União Europeia tem de olhar para a frente.
	=> The European Union has to look forward.

Diante as an adverb doesn't exist alone, it is always combined with a preposition (em diante, por diante, a diante), wherin obviously the adverb alone can't establish any relationship to a following complement.

preposition diante de (before, in front of)
temporal:	Temos muito tempo diante de nós.
	We have a lot of time before us.
spatial:	Eu estou aqui, diante de você.
	I am here, in front of you.
metaphorical:	A versão que tenho diante de mim é a francesa.
	The version I have in front of me is in French. .
adverbs only with prepositions
metaphorical:	Temos por diante uma importante tarefa.
	We have an importante duty in front of us.
temporal:	Temos de olhar para diante e não para trás.
	We have to look forward and not backwards.
spatial:	A luz avança para diante.
	Light moves forward.

Choose the right option in the following sentences.

It's like an endless street would open in front of my eyes.
É como se uma estrada sem fim se abrisse em frenteem frente dosà frente dos meus olhos.
Please come forward.
Venham para em frente depara a frenteà frente , por favor.
That's the only way to go ahead.
É a única maneira de seguires em frente deem frenteem frente de .
Look ahead!
Olhe em frentepara a frenteem frente de !
What president will be on top of the government when everything collapses?
Que Presidente quer estar à frenteem frente dapara a frente da um país, quando tudo se desmorona?
The border si over there.
A fronteira é ali em frente depara a frenteà frente .
She put the bed in front of the window.
Ele pôs a cama à frenteem frente dapara a frente da janela.
In front an abyss und behind us the wolves.
Um precipício para a frenteà frenteem frente de , e lobos atrás.
Go ahead and believe what you want.
Vão para a frenteem frenteem frente de e acreditem naquilo que quiserem.
My mother taught me that it is impolite to go in front of a woman.
A minha mãe ensinou-me que é falta de educação andar para a frenteà frente depara a frente de uma mulher.

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