Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Não fiques lá fora muito tempo, a chuva pode começar a cair. - Don’t stay outside too long, it might start to rain.

In European Portuguese, when giving a negative command to the informal second-person singular (tu), the present subjunctive is used. While the affirmative command for “ficar” is “fica,” the negative command becomes “não fiques” to follow the grammatical rule.

What does the phrase lá fora mean in this context?

Lá fora literally means “out there” or simply “outside.” It indicates that the person should avoid staying outdoors, implying that the outside environment might not be safe or comfortable for a long duration.

How is the verbal phrase pode começar a cair structured and what does it convey?

The phrase is built with the modal verb pode (meaning “can” or “might”), followed by começar, which means “to begin,” and then the infinitive cair (“to fall”). Together, they express the possibility that the rain will start falling, similar to saying “it might start to rain” in English.

Why does the sentence use the definite article a before chuva?

In Portuguese, nouns like chuva (rain) are typically accompanied by a definite article. Here, a chuva (the rain) is used because it treats the weather phenomenon as a specific, known occurrence, which is a common construction when talking about the weather.

Is the sentence considered formal or informal, and could it be adjusted for a different level of formality?

The sentence is informal because it uses the second-person singular form fiques, which is common when addressing someone as “tu.” In a more formal context, one might use forms like Não fique lá fora muito tempo (using the formal address or third-person singular) to maintain the proper level of formality.