Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Se dominasses melhor o vocabulário, conseguiríamos conversar sobre temas mais complexos sem interrupções. - If you mastered the vocabulary better, we would be able to talk about more complex topics without interruptions.

Dominasses is the second person singular form of the imperfect subjunctive of dominar. In this conditional structure, it expresses a hypothetical or unreal situation—implying that if you had mastered the vocabulary better, then a certain result would follow. This use of the imperfect subjunctive is typical in “if-clauses” where the condition is contrary to fact or unlikely.

Why does the sentence use the conditional form conseguiríamos in the second clause?

Conseguiríamos is the first person plural conditional form of conseguir. In Portuguese conditional sentences, the result clause often employs the conditional mood to indicate what would occur if the condition expressed in the “if-clause” were met. Here, it shows that, as a result of better vocabulary mastery, we would be able to converse on more complex topics without interruptions.

How does the sentence structure reflect typical conditional formations in Portuguese?

The sentence is divided into two parts: the condition and the result. The condition—introduced by Se—uses the imperfect subjunctive (dominasses) to describe a hypothetical scenario. The result clause employs the conditional mood (conseguiríamos) to state what would happen if that condition were fulfilled. This combination is a standard way in Portuguese to express hypothetical situations.

Why is the definite article o used in o vocabulário, even though English might sometimes omit an article with “vocabulary”?

In Portuguese, it is common to use definite articles with nouns even when referring to a general concept. O vocabulário indicates a specific set of vocabulary (the words and expressions of the language) in this context. This is different from English, where “vocabulary” can be used without an article, but in Portuguese the inclusion of o is natural and grammatically expected.

What function does the adverb melhor serve in the sentence?

Melhor means “better” and modifies the verb dominasses. It emphasizes the degree of mastery that is desired, suggesting that an improved or higher level of command over vocabulary is needed. This improvement is presented as the condition under which a smoother and more complex conversation could take place.