Breakdown of Quando a internet cair, vou buscar um café.
um
a
o café
the coffee
ir
to go
quando
when
a internet
the internet
cair
to go down
buscar
to pick up
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Questions & Answers about Quando a internet cair, vou buscar um café.
Why does the verb cair appear as cair and not cai or cairá?
In Portuguese, time clauses introduced by quando that refer to future events require the future subjunctive. For the third-person singular of cair, that form is cair (identical to the infinitive). So Quando a internet cair literally means “When the internet goes down.”
Why do we say a internet instead of just internet?
In Brazilian Portuguese, it’s very common to use the definite article before feminine nouns, and internet is treated as feminine. Thus speakers normally say a internet rather than omitting the article.
What does vou buscar mean, and why not use a simple future like buscarei?
Vou buscar is the periphrastic (or composite) future, formed by the present of ir (vou) plus an infinitive (buscar). It expresses a near or planned future and is more colloquial. Buscarei is the simple future tense, also correct, but tends to sound more formal or literary.
Could I say vou pegar um café instead of vou buscar um café? Is there a difference?
Yes, you can. In everyday Brazilian speech pegar um café and buscar um café both mean “go get a coffee.” Subtle nuance: buscar often implies fetching something from a different location, while pegar can simply mean “grab” or “pick up.” In a café you’ll frequently hear vou pegar um café.
Why is there an um before café? Can I omit it and say vou buscar café?
Portuguese normally uses indefinite articles (um/uma) with countable nouns: um café = “a coffee.” You could drop it colloquially (vou buscar café), but it’s less precise and might sound stilted or regional. Including um is more natural.
Can I move the time clause to the end—say Vou buscar um café quando a internet cair?
Absolutely. You can place the subordinate clause either before or after the main clause without changing the meaning. When the time clause comes first, you should use a comma (Quando a internet cair, …). When it follows, the comma is optional.
Why isn’t there a subject pronoun like eu before vou?
Portuguese often omits subject pronouns because verb endings indicate the subject. Vou is unambiguously first-person singular, so eu is unnecessary and typically left out in informal speech.
What nuance does buscar um café carry—does it imply going out to a café or just making coffee at home?
Buscar um café literally means “to fetch a coffee,” implying you’re going somewhere (a coffee machine, kitchen, coffee stand) to get it. If you’re making coffee yourself at home, you’d more likely say vou preparar um café (“I’m going to make a coffee”).