Breakdown of Se a menina estudar com calma, certamente vai ganhar muita confiança.
ir
to go
estudar
to study
com
with
se
if
calmo
calm
a menina
the girl
certamente
certainly
ganhar
to gain
muito
a lot of
a confiança
the confidence
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Questions & Answers about Se a menina estudar com calma, certamente vai ganhar muita confiança.
Why is the verb estudar used instead of estuda in the “if” clause?
In Portuguese, when expressing a future possibility with an “if” clause, the action is typically put in the future subjunctive mood. For regular –ar verbs like estudar, the future subjunctive for the third person singular is identical to the infinitive form. That’s why we say Se a menina estudar com calma… rather than using the present indicative form estuda.
What does the phrase com calma mean in this sentence?
The phrase com calma means “in a calm manner” or “without haste.” It emphasizes that the girl should approach her studies at a relaxed pace, which in turn helps her gain a lot of confidence. Essentially, it suggests that a measured, unhurried approach is beneficial.
What role does the adverb certamente play in the sentence?
Certamente is used to stress certainty in the outcome. It translates to “certainly” or “surely” and indicates that if the girl studies calmly, it is almost guaranteed that she will gain a great deal of confidence. It adds an element of assurance to the future result.
Why is the future expressed with vai ganhar instead of a simple future tense like ganhará?
Portuguese often uses the periphrastic construction ir + infinitive (in this case, vai ganhar) to express the future, especially in everyday language. This structure is equivalent to “is going to gain” in English and is very common in both spoken and informal written Portuguese. Although ganhará is also correct and more formal, vai ganhar is widely used.
How does the structure of this sentence compare to a similar conditional sentence in English?
The structure is quite similar. In English, you would say, “If the girl studies calmly, she will certainly gain a lot of confidence.” Both languages use an “if” clause to present a condition and a main clause to show the resulting action. The primary differences are the verb moods and constructions: Portuguese uses the future subjunctive (which for some verbs looks like the infinitive) in the condition, and it commonly expresses future actions with ir + infinitive.