Breakdown of Quando eu chegar ao aeroporto, vou enviar uma mensagem para avisar.
eu
I
uma
a
ao
to the
para
to
ir
to go
quando
when
chegar
to arrive
avisar
to notify
a mensagem
the message
o aeroporto
the airport
enviar
to send
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Questions & Answers about Quando eu chegar ao aeroporto, vou enviar uma mensagem para avisar.
What does ao represent in quando eu chegar ao aeroporto?
Ao is the contraction of the preposition a (to) and the definite article o (the). It literally means to the, so chegar ao aeroporto = arrive at the airport.
Why is it quando eu chegar (subjunctive) instead of quando eu chegarei (future indicative)?
In Portuguese, when you refer to a future event in a subordinate clause introduced by time conjunctions like quando, assim que, antes que, you use the present subjunctive rather than the future indicative. That’s why it’s quando eu chegar, even though it talks about the future.
Can I omit the pronoun eu and just say quando chegar ao aeroporto?
Yes. Portuguese usually drops subject pronouns because the verb endings indicate the subject. Quando chegar ao aeroporto is perfectly natural and common.
Is it correct to say quando eu chegar no aeroporto instead of ao aeroporto?
Many Brazilian speakers use chegar em + place (e.g., no aeroporto) in everyday speech, and it’s widely accepted colloquially. The more traditional form is chegar a + definite article (ao aeroporto), but chegar no aeroporto is very common in Brazil.
What’s the difference between vou enviar and envierei?
Vou enviar is the periphrastic future (using ir + infinitive) and is more conversational. Envierei is the simple future tense. Both mean “I will send,” but vou enviar sounds more natural in everyday speech.
Could I use mandar instead of enviar?
Yes. Mandar and enviar are synonyms meaning “to send.” Mandar is slightly more informal, while enviar can sound a bit more formal or neutral.
Why is there para before avisar? What does para avisar mean?
Para introduces a purpose clause (in order to). Para avisar means in order to let [someone] know. It explains the reason why you’ll send the message.
Can I use pra instead of para in para avisar?
Yes. In informal spoken Brazilian Portuguese, pra is a common contraction of para. Saying vou enviar uma mensagem pra avisar is very natural in conversation.
Is there another way to express in order to let you know besides para avisar?
Sure. You could say vou enviar uma mensagem te avisando (using the gerund) or vou te avisar com uma mensagem. Both convey the same idea with slightly different structures.