Breakdown of Se o sinal da internet ficar fraco, mande outra mensagem.
se
if
da
of the
fraco
weak
o sinal
the signal
a internet
the internet
ficar
to get
mandar
to send
outra
another
a mensagem
the message
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Portuguese grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Se o sinal da internet ficar fraco, mande outra mensagem.
What is the function of se at the beginning of the sentence?
se introduces a conditional clause, equivalent to English “if.” It sets up a situation that may or may not happen.
Why is it o sinal da internet instead of just o sinal de internet?
da is a contraction of de + a (“of the”). In Portuguese, internet usually takes the feminine article a, so “the internet” = a internet, and “signal of the internet” = sinal da internet. In colloquial speech you might also hear sinal de internet, omitting the article.
Why is ficar used here instead of estar or ser?
ficar means “to become” or “to end up,” emphasizing a change of state. ficar fraco = “to get weak.” You could say estar fraco (“to be weak”), but ficar focuses on the process of weakening.
What does fraco mean in this context?
fraco is an adjective meaning “weak,” describing the quality of the internet signal.
Why is the verb mandar in the form mande?
This is the affirmative imperative for você. In Portuguese, affirmative commands for você use the present-subjunctive form. So você mande becomes simply mande.
Could I use envie instead of mande to say “send another message”?
Yes. enviar and mandar are synonyms here. Envie outra mensagem is perfectly acceptable and has the same meaning.
What nuance does outra add in outra mensagem?
outra means “another” or “a different one,” indicating you want a new message sent if the previous one didn’t go through.
Could I specify the recipient by adding a pronoun, like mande-me outra mensagem?
Yes. You can add me before or after the verb—me mande outra mensagem or mande-me outra mensagem—to clarify that the message should be sent to you.
Can I replace se with quando in this sentence?
You can, but it shifts the nuance. quando means “when,” presuming the signal will weaken at some point. se means “if,” expressing uncertainty that it might weaken.