Supposed to...

If something is supposed to be a certain way or happen in a certain way, it “should” be or happen that way. It is “meant to” be like that. We are talking about the intended purpose or result.

-> É para; Era para/ deveria/ supostamente/ pressupõe-se/ se supõe que/ é suposto para

1.      I am supposed to brush my daughter’s teeth before she goes to bed, but sometimes she falls asleep before I can brush them. What can I do?!

2.      The Metro in Fortaleza was supposed to have been completed years ago. What excuse did the local government give?  Hopefully it gets completed soon!

3.      According to the Mayan calendar, the world was supposed to end on December 21^st 2012. NASA said that the solar flares that were supposed to hit the earth in 2012 would hit us in 2013.

4.      In many cultures, the groom is not supposed to see the bride’s wedding dress before the ceremony. What is not supposed to happen according to superstitions related to weddings in your own country?

5.      We are not supposed to download movies etc. from the internet… but we do it anyways, with little to no consequence. Personally, when it comes to the ethics of pirating, it is a very “gray area” for me.   

6.      The United Nations is supposed to be an international body that arbitrates in important matters, especially crises… however, it’s a complicated affair trying to come to a resolution, because “too many cooks spoil the broth” – too many opinions make it extremely bureaucratic, if not impossible, to reach a consensus.

7.      We are supposed to “eject” the devices connected to our computers before pulling them out… most commonly with USB devices/ pen drives. Honestly, what will happen if we don’t go through this process?

8.      I know that I am supposed to separate my “whites” and “coloreds” when washing clothes, but I think it makes little difference when we’re doing a “cold wash”, so I bundle everything in together, “no mess no fuss” – no problem. What things are you supposed to do that you often ignore on purpose?

9.      We are supposed to throw trash in trash cans/ rubbish bins and not litter (throw trash on the floor in public). Someone who does this is called a “litterbug”. Be honest… have you littered recently?

10.  I was supposed to become a photographer for the National Geographic (It was my destiny in the abstract sense). What were you supposed to do with your life? Do you have any regrets?