Questions & Answers about Assim que eu voltar do correio, vou avisar minha mãe sobre a entrega.
Why is it assim que eu voltar and not assim que eu volto?
Because after assim que when you are talking about a future event, Portuguese normally uses the present subjunctive.
So:
- Assim que eu voltar = as soon as I come back / as soon as I return
- not assim que eu volto in this sentence
This happens because the return has not happened yet. In Portuguese, future time clauses introduced by expressions like assim que, quando, logo que, and depois que often trigger the subjunctive.
A useful comparison:
- Quando eu chego em casa, tomo banho. = When I get home, I take a shower.
(habit / repeated action → indicative) - Quando eu chegar em casa, vou tomar banho. = When I get home, I’ll take a shower.
(future event → subjunctive)
In your sentence, voltar is the subjunctive form for eu.
What exactly does assim que mean?
Assim que means as soon as.
It introduces an action that happens immediately after another one:
- Assim que eu voltar do correio, vou avisar minha mãe.
- As soon as I get back from the post office, I’ll tell my mother.
It is very common and natural in Brazilian Portuguese.
Other similar expressions are:
For everyday speech, assim que is one of the most useful choices.
Why does voltar look like the infinitive here?
It only looks like the infinitive. In this sentence, voltar is actually the present subjunctive form for eu.
For voltar, the present subjunctive is:
- eu voltar
- você/ele/ela voltar
- nós voltarmos
- vocês/eles/elas voltarem
So in Assim que eu voltar, voltar is a conjugated verb, not an infinitive.
This can be confusing because for many -ar verbs, some subjunctive forms are identical in spelling to the infinitive.
Compare:
- Infinitive: voltar
- Present indicative, eu: volto
- Present subjunctive, eu: voltar
That is why eu voltar is correct here.
What does do correio mean here?
Here, do correio means from the post office.
Literally:
In Brazil, correio often refers to the postal service or a post office location. In this sentence, voltar do correio most naturally means to come back from the post office.
A few related expressions:
- ir ao correio = to go to the post office
- voltar do correio = to come back from the post office
- mandar pelo correio = to send by mail
Why is it vou avisar instead of avisarei?
Both are grammatically correct, but vou avisar is much more common in everyday Brazilian Portuguese.
- vou avisar = near future / very common in speech
- avisarei = simple future / more formal, written, or less conversational
So:
- Vou avisar minha mãe sounds natural and conversational.
- Avisarei minha mãe sounds correct, but more formal or stiff in many contexts.
This is similar to English preferring I’m going to tell her in many everyday situations rather than a more formal future style.
What does avisar mean here? Is it the same as to tell?
In this sentence, avisar means something like to let someone know, to inform, or to tell.
So vou avisar minha mãe means:
- I’m going to let my mother know
- I’m going to tell my mother
- I’m going to inform my mother
- avisar = alert, notify, let someone know
- dizer = say, tell
- contar = tell, recount
- informar = inform (more formal)
In this context, avisar is a very natural choice because the speaker is passing on information about the delivery.
Why is there no article before minha mãe?
In Brazilian Portuguese, possessives like meu, minha, seu, nossa can appear with or without the definite article, depending on region, style, and context.
So both of these are possible:
- vou avisar minha mãe
- vou avisar a minha mãe
Both mean I’m going to tell my mother.
In Brazil, omitting the article is very common, especially before close family terms:
- minha mãe
- meu pai
- meu irmão
Using the article is also common in many regions, so learners will hear both.
Why is it sobre a entrega? Could it be da entrega?
Yes, both can be possible, but they are not always identical in tone or structure.
In your sentence:
- avisar minha mãe sobre a entrega = tell my mother about the delivery
This structure is very clear and common:
- avisar alguém sobre algo
You may also hear:
- avisar alguém da entrega
That can sound a little more concise or slightly more formal, depending on context.
Also, Portuguese often allows:
- avisar alguém que...
- Vou avisar minha mãe que a entrega chegou.
- I’ll tell my mother that the delivery arrived.
So sobre a entrega is completely natural and easy to understand.
Why is it a entrega and not just entrega?
Because a entrega refers to a specific delivery that both speaker and listener can identify from context.
Portuguese often uses the definite article where English might or might not use the. Here, a entrega means:
- the delivery
- the particular delivery already being discussed or expected
If you said just sobre entrega, it would sound incomplete or too general in this context.
Compare:
- sobre a entrega = about the delivery
- sobre entregas = about deliveries in general
Why is there a comma after correio?
The first part of the sentence is a time clause:
Then the main clause comes after it:
- vou avisar minha mãe sobre a entrega
In Portuguese, when an adverbial clause like this comes first, it is very common to separate it with a comma.
So the comma helps show the structure:
- As soon as I get back from the post office, I’ll tell my mother about the delivery.
If you reverse the order, the comma is often unnecessary:
- Vou avisar minha mãe sobre a entrega assim que eu voltar do correio.
Can the sentence order be changed?
Yes. Portuguese allows different word orders here, and the meaning stays basically the same.
For example:
- Assim que eu voltar do correio, vou avisar minha mãe sobre a entrega.
- Vou avisar minha mãe sobre a entrega assim que eu voltar do correio.
Both are natural.
The version with assim que... first puts more focus on the time condition: as soon as I get back...
The version starting with vou avisar... puts the main action first: I’m going to tell my mother...
Both are good; the choice is mostly about emphasis and flow.
Could I say depois que eu voltar instead of assim que eu voltar?
Yes, but the meaning changes slightly.
Assim que suggests immediacy: the speaker will tell the mother right away.
Depois que is broader. It only says the telling will happen sometime later, after the return, but not necessarily immediately.
So if you want the idea of immediately after, assim que is the better choice.
Is correio still common in Brazil, or would people say something else?
Yes, correio is still very common and natural in Brazil.
People may say:
- ir ao correio = go to the post office
- passar no correio = stop by the post office
You might also hear Correios with a capital letter when referring to the Brazilian postal service itself:
- Os Correios
- the Brazilian postal service
In everyday speech, though, o correio in a sentence like this sounds perfectly normal.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning PortugueseMaster Portuguese — from Assim que eu voltar do correio, vou avisar minha mãe sobre a entrega to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions