Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil): Geralmente, quando eu tenho um plano claro, fico calmo; quando não tenho, fico ansioso. - Generally, when I have a clear plan, I stay calm; when I don’t have one, I get anxious.

Geralmente, quando eu tenho um plano claro, fico calmo; quando não tenho, fico ansioso.

Generally, when I have a clear plan, I stay calm; when I don’t have one, I get anxious.

Breakdown of Geralmente, quando eu tenho um plano claro, fico calmo; quando não tenho, fico ansioso.

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Questions & Answers about Geralmente, quando eu tenho um plano claro, fico calmo; quando não tenho, fico ansioso.

Why does the sentence start with Geralmente and can it go in other positions?

Geralmente means usually / generally and it’s an adverb of frequency. In Portuguese, it’s very natural to put these at the beginning:

Geralmente, quando eu tenho um plano claro, fico calmo.

But you could also say:

Quando eu tenho um plano claro, geralmente fico calmo.
Quando eu tenho um plano claro, fico geralmente calmo. (possible, but less common)

Starting with Geralmente emphasizes the idea of “in general / as a rule” before you say the specific situation.

Why is there a comma after Geralmente and after the quando clause?

In Portuguese:

When an adverb or adverbial phrase is placed at the beginning for emphasis, it is usually followed by a comma:
Geralmente, ...
When a subordinate clause with quando (when) comes before the main clause, it is separated by a comma:
Quando eu tenho um plano claro, fico calmo.

So you get:
Geralmente, quando eu tenho um plano claro, fico calmo.

If the quando clause came second, you normally wouldn’t use a comma:

Fico calmo quando eu tenho um plano claro.

Why is eu used only once (quando eu tenho) and not repeated before fico calmo?

Portuguese is a “pro‑drop” language: you don’t have to repeat subject pronouns when the verb form already shows who the subject is.

Quando eu tenho um plano claro, fico calmo.

The verb form fico already tells us the subject is eu (1st person singular), so eu is understood and doesn’t need to be said again. You could say:

Quando eu tenho um plano claro, eu fico calmo.

but that is more emphatic or stylistically heavier; the original version sounds more natural in everyday speech and writing.

Could the eu inside the quando clause also be dropped? For example: Quando tenho um plano claro, fico calmo?

Yes, that is totally correct and very natural:

Quando tenho um plano claro, fico calmo.

Again, the verb tenho already indicates the subject is eu, so the pronoun is optional. Using or omitting eu here is mostly about style and emphasis, not grammar:

Quando eu tenho... → slightly more emphasis on I
Quando tenho... → more neutral, a bit more fluid

Why is it um plano claro (noun + adjective) instead of claro plano, like English clear plan?

In Portuguese, the default position of most adjectives is after the noun:

um plano claro = a clear plan
um carro novo = a new car
uma casa grande = a big house

Adjectives can sometimes go before the noun, but that usually adds a nuance (more emotional, figurative, or stylistic). For example:

um claro plano might sound more literary or emphatic, like “an obvious/manifest plan,” and is not the neutral everyday way to say “a clear plan.”

So um plano claro is the standard, neutral order here.

What does fico calmo mean exactly, and why use ficar instead of ser or estar?

Ficar with an adjective often means to become / to get / to end up (in some state).

fico calmo ≈ “I get calm / I become calm / I stay calm”
fico ansioso ≈ “I get anxious”

Rough guide:

ser calmo = to be a calm person (permanent trait)
estar calmo = to be calm at the moment (current state)
ficar calmo = to become or end up calm in a certain situation

In this sentence, the idea is about how you end up feeling depending on whether you have a clear plan or not, so ficar is the natural choice.

Why is it quando eu tenho and not a future form like quando eu terei?

Portuguese normally uses the present tense with quando to talk about things that happen habitually or generally, including situations that are about the future in a general sense:

Quando eu tenho um plano claro, fico calmo.
= Whenever I have a clear plan, I get calm.

Compare:

Quando eu tiver um plano claro, ficarei calmo.
This is grammatical but more specific and formal: “When I (eventually) have a clear plan, I will be calm.” It’s about a particular future event, not a general habit.

So, for general patterns and habits, present + quando is standard.

In quando não tenho, what is not being had? Where did the noun go?

The full idea is:

quando não tenho (um plano claro)

Portuguese, like English, can omit repeated words when the meaning is clear. Just like:

English: “When I have a clear plan, I’m calm; when I don’t, I get anxious.”

Portuguese:

quando eu tenho um plano claro, fico calmo; quando não tenho, fico ansioso.

The missing part (um plano claro) is understood from the first clause. This is very natural and common.

Could you say quando não o tenho instead of quando não tenho?

You can say:

quando não o tenho, fico ansioso.

Here, o = “it” (referring to um plano claro). It is grammatically correct but sounds:

more formal or written, and
a bit heavier than necessary in everyday speech.

In normal, natural conversation, Portuguese speakers usually prefer quando não tenho and just let the object be understood from context, exactly like the English when I don’t.

Why are the adjectives calmo and ansioso in the masculine form? What would change for a woman speaking?

In Portuguese, adjectives agree with the grammatical gender and number of the subject.

Here, the implied subject is eu referring to a male speaker, so:

fico calmo (I get calm)
fico ansioso (I get anxious)

If the speaker is a woman, she would normally say:

Geralmente, quando eu tenho um plano claro, fico calma; quando não tenho, fico ansiosa.

calma / ansiosa = feminine singular forms.

So the sentence changes depending on who is speaking.

Why is there a semicolon (;) instead of a comma or a period between the two parts?

The semicolon in:

... fico calmo; quando não tenho, fico ansioso.

shows that there are two closely related main clauses:

What happens when you do have a clear plan.
What happens when you don’t.

You could also write:

... fico calmo. Quando não tenho, fico ansioso. (two separate sentences)
... fico calmo, e quando não tenho, fico ansioso. (comma + e “and”)

All are grammatically correct. The semicolon is a stylistic choice that keeps the two parts strongly connected without using e.