Breakdown of Quando tu vieres a pé, tens de atravessar a rua principal com cuidado.
tu
you
quando
when
vir
to come
a pé
on foot
ter de
to have to
atravessar
to cross
a rua
the street
principal
main
com cuidado
carefully
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Questions & Answers about Quando tu vieres a pé, tens de atravessar a rua principal com cuidado.
What does the phrase a pé mean in this sentence?
It means “on foot,” indicating that the subject is walking rather than using any other form of transportation.
Why is the verb vir conjugated as vieres here?
The form vieres is the future subjunctive conjugation for the second person singular (tu) of the verb vir. In Portuguese, when a temporal clause introduced by quando refers to an uncertain future event, the future subjunctive is used.
What does the expression tens de convey, and how is it similar to other expressions of obligation in Portuguese?
Tens de means “you have to” or “must” and is a common way in European Portuguese to express obligation or necessity. It functions similarly to phrases like tens que and is comparable to the modal “must” in English.
What is the meaning of atravessar a rua principal com cuidado?
It translates to “to cross the main street carefully.” Here, atravessar means “to cross,” a rua principal refers to “the main street,” and com cuidado means “with care” or “carefully,” stressing the need to be cautious while crossing.
Why is the future subjunctive mood used after quando in this sentence?
In Portuguese, clauses that refer to a future event—whose occurrence is not guaranteed—require the use of the future subjunctive. That’s why vieres appears after quando, as it sets a condition for a potential future action.
Why is the pronoun tu used instead of você in this sentence?
Tu is the informal second person singular pronoun commonly used in European Portuguese. It conveys familiarity between the speaker and the listener. In contrast, Brazilian Portuguese often uses você, which leads to different verb conjugations.