Misc Grammar
O Chat GPT concorda sempre com os usuários. Isto poderia permitir que os usuários continuem a agir de maneira prejudicial → X could, would, should: cannot use conditional if it's expressing something that is likely to happen, need to use 1 word future in this case, only use the conditional if it's likely to happen. Also, cannot use preterit after conditional, only imperfect > simple future + preterit
We were very happy yesterday = two possibilities:
Nós estávamos muito felizes ontem. (Mas hoje estamos um pouco tristes)
Phrase describes a temporary state, hence "estar"
Ontem tivemos um dia marvalihoso. Fomos a uma festa divertida… Nós fomos muito felizes ontem.
The experience had a lasting impact, hence "ser"
Micheal has been sick for two weeks = Micheal está doente há duas semanas
When there is a has been + adjective structure, generally the translation is "tem estado" + adjective, e.g. Micheal tem estado doente.
However, when the time is specified, we use the verb "estar" in the present tense, e.g. A minha filha está triste há duas semanas.
I have seen your parents recently = Eu vi os seus pais recentemente
The event has already happened so we use the Pretérito Perfeito.
When the Present Perfect suggests an action that has already happened, it's translated using the Pretérito Perfeito, e.g. He has drunk too much = Ele bebeu demais, She has broken her leg = Ela quebrou a perna (sometimes the distinction between the Simple Past and the Present Perfect is lost in translation)
Linda has been working in a pub since last November … Actually she just started in December = A Linda trabalha num bar desde novembro do ano passado … Na verdade, ela só começou em dezembro
The Present Perfect Continuous indicates an action that started in the past and continues in the present. It's translated using the Perfeito Composto, e.g. Linda tem trabalhado num = Linda has been working in a bar
But when the duration of time is specified, we use the present to translate the verb, e.g. Eu moro em Bristol há cinco anos = I have been living in Bristol for five years
Elizabeth and Rupert were told to buy some drinks for tonight's party at Peter's = Disseram à Elizabeth e ao Rupert para comprarem algumas bebidas para a festa desta noite na casa do Pedro
Active voice: some people told Elizabeth and Rupert to buy drinks = algumas pessoas disseram a Elizabeth e ao Rupert para comprarem bebidas
Cannot use the passive voice. Cannot use it with an indirect object in Portuguese ("dizer a…").
Consequently the correct translation uses the active voice, omitting the agent
Other possibility would be: disseram a Elizabeth e ao Rupert que comprassem bebidas.
Despite going home in a fancy Rolls Royce, the crying top model thought she was still fat = Apesar de ir para casa num Rolls Royce luxuoso, a modelo chorosa pensava que ainda estava gorda
"the top model she was still fat" can be translated in two ways:
…pensava que ainda estava gorda - factual, she thought she was fat and she actually is
…pensou que ainda estivesse gorda - mistaken, hypothetical, fictional, she thought she was but she isn’t in reality. The imperfect subjunctive is used to express things that turned out to be untrue
If I am at home around 9:00, I will call you = Se eu estiver em casa por volta das 9 horas, telefono-te
"I will call you": telefonar-te-ei = verb in the future, vou telefonar-te ("ir" + main verb), telefono-te (verb in the present, colloquial language).
Rupert thought that, if he had had a dog when he was a child, he would have has a happier childhood = O Rupert pensava que, se ele tivesse tido um cão quando era criança, teria tido uma infância mais feliz
"he had had a dog" = ele tinha tido um cão
"if he had had a dog" = se ele tivesse tido um cão
"he would have had a happier childhood" = ele teria tido uma infância mais feliz
I wish you had more time to do all the things you are supposed to do = Gostaria que tu tivesses mais tempo para fazer todas as coisas que tens que fazer
"you are supposed to do this" - tu tens que fazer isto / tu deves fazer isto
The -ever world:
Quem quer que
Onde quer que = pres/imperf subjunctive
O que quer que
But if you drop the "(quer) que" -
- quem/onde/o que → future/imperf subjunctive
A casa onde estás = the house where you are
onde estiveres = …wherever you will be
If you're always proud of something, use "ser" + olgulhoso / if you're proud of something in the moment, use "estar"; e.g. I'm proud of this cake I made.
Eles disseram serem os vencedores = they said they are the winners
vs
Ele disse/afirmou estar doente = he said he was ill, more formal without "que"
O que + verb → toddler question, give me the definition of something; e.g.
Os biólogos sabem o que são plantas angiospérmicas.
Que + noun
Qual + verb (usually 'ser'); e.g.
Os médicos sabem quais são os medicamentos indicados para essa doença
Familiar: a menina/o menino que está a brincar
Formal: a menina/o menino a qual/o qual está a brincar
Um dos gelados de que mais gosto é… / Um dos gelados dos quais mais gosto é…
^no article = not change
Article = must be agreement, might be change
Adoecer = to fall ill
^verbs like this indicate something progressive; e.g. amanhecer = rising of the Sun, anoitecer = setting of the Sun
É melhor perguntares a um médico = it is better that you ask a doctor
Era melhor perguntares…
Seria melhor perguntares…
^no change when you use personal inf.
Would be different with 'é melhor que' - triggers subjunctive
É melhor que perguntes…
Era/seria melhor que perguntasses…
E melhor…
Eu perguntar
Perguntares
Ele/ela perguntar
Perguntarmos
Voces/eles/elas perguntarem
Não sei se eles estão em casa
^whether (se) is always indicative; e.g. sabes se eles estão em casa?
^/trouxeram o bolo?
Estou em guerra há 10 anos - I have been at war for ten years (há + present, há + composto incorrect in this context)
Estiveram/tinham estado em guerra DURANTE (not HA) - they had been at war