Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Tu vais candidatar-te para o trabalho amanhã. - You are going to apply for the job tomorrow.

In Portuguese, the verb candidatar-se is pronominal, meaning it always appears with a reflexive pronoun. Since the subject of the sentence is tu (informal singular “you”), the appropriate reflexive pronoun is te. When using an infinitive as part of a periphrastic future (with ir), Portuguese grammar requires the pronoun to attach to the end of the infinitive, hence candidatar-te.

Why is the future expressed with the construction tu vais candidatar-te rather than using a simple future tense?

European Portuguese often employs the periphrastic future, which combines the conjugated form of ir (in this case, vais) with an infinitive, to indicate an action that will take place in the near or planned future. This structure is colloquial and widely used in everyday conversation, making tu vais candidatar-te a natural and accessible alternative to the less common simple future form.

What does the phrase para o trabalho indicate in this sentence?

The phrase para o trabalho translates to “for the job.” It specifies the purpose of the application, clarifying that the intended action is to apply for a job. It functions as a prepositional phrase that adds context to the verb candidatar-te.

How does amanhã function within the sentence?

Amanhã means “tomorrow” in Portuguese. It is an adverb of time that indicates when the action (applying for the job) is scheduled to occur, thus situating the event in the immediate future.

Why is the informal subject tu used here, and how would the sentence change if você were used instead?

In Portugal, tu is the informal, familiar form of “you” and is commonly used in everyday conversation. If the sentence were adapted to a more formal register or for a variant like Brazilian Portuguese, você might be used instead. In that case, the conjugation of ir and the reflexive pronoun would change: it would become Você vai candidatar-se para o trabalho amanhã, where vai is the third person singular form of ir and se is the corresponding reflexive pronoun.

Why is the pronoun attached to the end of the verb (forming candidatar-te) instead of preceding the verb as in te candidatar?

When an infinitive follows a conjugated verb like vais in a future construction, Portuguese grammar typically requires that any attached clitic (such as te) be placed at the end of the infinitive. This practice, called enclisis, is standard in affirmative sentences. Placing the pronoun before the infinitive (proclisis) is uncommon in such contexts.

Can this sentence be rephrased using a different future tense, and if so, how?

Yes, the sentence can be rephrased using the simple future tense. For example, one could say Tu candidatar-te-ás para o trabalho amanhã. However, note that the periphrastic future (vais + infinitive) is more common in spoken European Portuguese. The simple future often sounds more formal or literary.

Are there any pronunciation considerations related to attaching te to candidatar in this structure?

Indeed, when the clitic te is attached to an infinitive like candidatar (forming candidatar-te), speakers need to adjust the intonation to maintain a smooth flow. Native speakers naturally merge the syllables to avoid a noticeable break, ensuring that the extra syllable from te fits seamlessly into the word. This kind of fluidity is typical in natural, conversational speech.