Breakdown of Quando a reunião terminar, eu vou voltar a estudar português.
Questions & Answers about Quando a reunião terminar, eu vou voltar a estudar português.
Why is it terminar and not termina or vai terminar?
Because after quando when it refers to a future event, Portuguese usually uses the future subjunctive.
So:
- Quando a reunião termina = when the meeting ends / whenever the meeting ends in a habitual or general sense
- Quando a reunião terminar = when the meeting ends in the future, on this specific occasion
In English, we often use the present after when for future meaning, but Portuguese often uses the future subjunctive instead.
What exactly is the tense of terminar here?
It is the future subjunctive of terminar.
For regular verbs ending in -ar, the form often looks the same as the infinitive in some persons:
So in this sentence, a reunião terminar means the meeting ends / has ended, referring to the future.
Why does Portuguese use the subjunctive after quando here?
Because the action has not happened yet. The sentence is talking about a future event whose completion will come before the next action.
A good rule:
- Use quando + indicative for things that are habitual, repeated, or already known as facts.
- Use quando + future subjunctive for future situations.
Examples:
- Quando eu tenho tempo, estudo português. = When I have time, I study Portuguese.
- Quando eu tiver tempo, estudarei português. = When I have time in the future, I will study Portuguese.
Why is there a comma after terminar?
Because the sentence begins with a dependent time clause:
Then comes the main clause:
In Portuguese, as in English, it is very common to put a comma after an introductory clause like this.
Why does it say eu vou voltar instead of just voltarei?
Both are possible, but they feel a little different.
- eu vou voltar a estudar português = I’m going to go back to studying Portuguese
- voltarei a estudar português = I will go back to studying Portuguese
In Brazilian Portuguese, ir + infinitive is extremely common in everyday speech and often sounds more natural and conversational than the simple future.
So this sentence sounds very normal and natural in Brazil.
What does voltar a estudar mean exactly?
Voltar a + infinitive means to do something again or to go back to doing something.
So:
- voltar a estudar = to study again / to go back to studying
- voltar a trabalhar = to go back to working
- voltar a dormir = to fall asleep again / sleep again
In this sentence, it suggests the speaker had been studying Portuguese before, stopped for some reason, and will resume after the meeting.
Why is there an a in voltar a estudar?
Because voltar often connects to another verb with the preposition a.
Pattern:
- voltar a + infinitive
Examples:
- voltar a ler
- voltar a falar
- voltar a tentar
You should learn it as a fixed structure:
Is eu necessary in eu vou voltar?
No, it is optional.
Portuguese often drops subject pronouns because the verb form already shows the subject:
- vou voltar a estudar português
- eu vou voltar a estudar português
Both are correct.
Including eu can add:
- emphasis
- clarity
- contrast
In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, people often include subject pronouns more than in European Portuguese, but they are still frequently omitted when the meaning is clear.
Why is it a reunião? Is reunião feminine?
Why is it just português and not o português?
Could this sentence also be Quando a reunião acabar...?
Yes. Terminar and acabar can both work here.
Both mean when the meeting ends.
A small nuance:
- terminar can sound a bit more neutral or formal
- acabar is also very common and natural in speech
In most everyday situations, either one would be understood perfectly.
Can I say Depois que a reunião terminar, eu vou voltar a estudar português instead?
What is the basic sentence structure here?
The structure is:
Quando + subject + future subjunctive, subject + ir + infinitive + voltar a + infinitive + object
Broken down:
- Quando = when
- a reunião = the meeting
- terminar = ends
- eu = I
- vou voltar = am going to go back
- a estudar = to studying / to study again
- português = Portuguese
So the sentence is built from:
- a time clause
- a main clause
That pattern is very common in Portuguese.
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