Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil): Ela quer ganhar dinheiro rápido, mas isso nem sempre é possível. - She wants to earn money quickly, but that is not always possible.

Because verbs of desire (like querer) can be directly followed by an infinitive to express wanting to do something: quer + infinitive = “wants to _.” If you use que, you must conjugate the next verb in the subjunctive: ela quer que eu ganhe = “she wants me to earn.”

Why is rápido placed after dinheiro, and can it modify the verb ganhar (earn) like an adverb?

In Portuguese, adjectives typically follow the noun, so dinheiro rápido is acceptable, especially colloquially. Here rápido loosely functions as an adverb modifying ganhar. Formally, you’d use ganhar dinheiro rapidamente, but rápido is common in spoken language.

Could I use rapidamente instead of rápido?

Yes. Rapidamente is the adverbial form and is more formally correct to modify ganhar: ela quer ganhar dinheiro rapidamente. Both are understood, but rapidamente is preferred in writing.

What does isso refer to in mas isso nem sempre é possível?

Isso refers to the whole idea of “earning money quickly.” It’s a neuter demonstrative pronoun used to point back to an entire clause or situation.

Why do we say nem sempre instead of não sempre?

Portuguese often uses nem + adverb (e.g. nem sempre, nem nunca) to express negation. While não sempre is grammatically possible, it sounds unnatural. Nem sempre = “not always.”

Why does é in é possível have an accent?

É is the third-person singular present of ser and always carries an acute accent to distinguish it from the conjunction e (“and”).

Is the comma before mas necessary?

Yes. When you join two independent clauses with mas (“but”), you place a comma before the conjunction: [clause 1], mas [clause 2].