Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Quando o ruído aumenta, sinto-me ainda mais incomodado e procuro conforto noutro lugar. - When the noise increases, I feel even more bothered and look for comfort elsewhere.

In Portuguese, many verbs can be made reflexive to indicate that the subject is acting upon itself. In this sentence, sinto-me is the reflexive form of sentir (“to feel”), meaning “I feel (myself)…” In European Portuguese, it’s common in affirmative statements to attach the reflexive pronoun after the conjugated verb (an enclitic position), rather than placing it before.

What role does the clause "Quando o ruído aumenta" play in the sentence?

The clause "Quando o ruído aumenta" functions as an adverbial clause of time. It sets the condition or moment in which the speaker’s feelings and actions occur—it translates to “When the noise increases.” This structure helps establish a cause-and-effect relationship with what follows.

Why is noutro written as one word, and what does it mean?

Noutro is a contraction of the preposition em (“in”) and the adjective outro (“another”). In European Portuguese, such contractions are common. Thus, noutro lugar means “in another place,” indicating that the speaker seeks comfort somewhere else.

What is the purpose of the phrase ainda mais in this sentence?

The phrase ainda mais means “even more” or “all the more.” It is used to intensify the adjective incomodado (“bothered” or “disturbed”), emphasizing that the speaker’s discomfort increases further when the noise becomes louder.

Why are explicit subject pronouns absent in the verbs sinto-me and procuro?

Portuguese is a pro-drop language, meaning that subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb conjugations already indicate the subject. In this sentence, the forms sinto-me and procuro unequivocally suggest the first-person singular (“I”), so there is no need to include the pronoun explicitly.

How is the overall sentence structured, and how do its parts relate to each other?

The sentence is divided into two primary parts connected by a conditional clause and a coordinating structure. The first part, "Quando o ruído aumenta," establishes the condition under which the speaker experiences increased discomfort ("sinto-me ainda mais incomodado"). The second part, "procuro conforto noutro lugar," details the speaker’s reaction to that condition. The comma after the conditional clause helps clearly separate the temporal condition from the resulting feelings and action.