Breakdown of Se o xampu acabar, minha irmã usa o meu condicionador e depois liga o secador.
meu
my
minha
my
e
and
se
if
Questions & Answers about Se o xampu acabar, minha irmã usa o meu condicionador e depois liga o secador.
Why is it acabar after se, and not acaba?
Because after se meaning if, Portuguese often uses the future subjunctive when the condition refers to a possible future situation.
So:
- Se o xampu acabar = If the shampoo runs out
- not Se o xampu acaba in this kind of future condition
This is a very common pattern in Portuguese:
- Se eu tiver tempo... = If I have time...
- Se ela chegar cedo... = If she arrives early...
- Se o xampu acabar... = If the shampoo runs out...
A useful thing to notice is that for many -ar verbs, the future subjunctive looks exactly like the infinitive, so acabar here is not the plain infinitive in meaning, even though it looks the same.
What tense are usa and liga here, and why are they in the present?