A reunião pode ser perigosa se depender de pessoas sem experiência.

The meeting can be dangerous if it depends on people without experience.

Breakdown of A reunião pode ser perigosa se depender de pessoas sem experiência.

• ser: to be
• sem: without
• se: if
• poder: to be able
• a reunião: the meeting
• perigoso: dangerous
• depender de: to depend on
• a pessoa: the person
• a experiência: the experience

Questions & Answers about A reunião pode ser perigosa se depender de pessoas sem experiência.

Why does the sentence use pode ser instead of a definitive verb like é?

Pode ser translates to “can be” or “might be,” which introduces the idea of possibility rather than certainty. This indicates that the meeting’s dangerous nature isn’t an absolute fact but depends on another condition.

Why is the verb depender used in its infinitive form rather than being conjugated?

In this sentence, the subject of the main clause (a reunião) is understood to be the same subject for the conditional clause. Portuguese often employs the infinitive in such cases to avoid unnecessary repetition, streamlining the sentence while keeping the meaning clear.

What does the phrase depender de mean here?

Depender de means “to depend on.” In this context, it implies that the outcome—the meeting becoming dangerous—is contingent upon relying on people who lack experience.

How does the adjective perigosa agree with the noun a reunião?

In Portuguese, a reunião is a feminine noun, so adjectives describing it must match in gender. Perigosa is the feminine form of the adjective meaning “dangerous,” ensuring proper agreement in the sentence.

Could pessoas sem experiência be replaced with another term, and if so, what would that be?

Yes, you could replace pessoas sem experiência with pessoas inexperientes. Both expressions convey the idea that the people lack experience, although the original phrase explicitly emphasizes the absence of experience.

Why is the condition of the sentence introduced with se?

Se functions as the equivalent of “if” in English, setting up a conditional clause. It specifies that the potential danger of the meeting hinges on the condition that it depends on people without experience.