Breakdown of Espero que tu reajas bem às mudanças, pois podem surpreender-te de forma positiva.
tu
you
de
of
poder
to be able to
pois
because
bem
well
que
that
esperar
to hope
a forma
the way
a mudança
the change
reagir
to react
surpreender-te
to surprise
positivo
positive
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Questions & Answers about Espero que tu reajas bem às mudanças, pois podem surpreender-te de forma positiva.
Why is the verb reajas in the subjunctive mood rather than the indicative form?
In Portuguese, when a main clause expresses a hope, wish, or desire—as it does with Espero que ("I hope that")—the following subordinate clause uses the subjunctive mood. That’s why instead of using the indicative form reages, the subjunctive reajas is used to reflect the uncertainty or aspiration behind the wish.
Why is tu used in this sentence, and how does it affect the verb conjugation?
In European Portuguese, tu is the informal second-person singular pronoun. When using tu, the verb must be conjugated accordingly. Here, the present subjunctive form of the verb reagir for tu is reajas. Note that in other varieties of Portuguese (such as Brazilian Portuguese), você is often preferred, which would lead to a different conjugation.
How is the contraction às formed in the sentence, and what does it signify?
The word às is a contraction of the preposition a and the feminine plural definite article as. It introduces the noun mudanças ("changes"), indicating that the action (reacting) is directed toward these changes.
Why is the pronoun te attached to surpreender as surpreender-te instead of being placed before the verb?
In Portuguese, when an object pronoun follows an infinitive verb—as is the case after the modal verb podem—it is attached to the infinitive with a hyphen. This rule, called enclisis, explains why te appears at the end of surpreender, forming surpreender-te.
What is the function of the conjunction pois in this sentence?
The conjunction pois works similarly to the English word "because." It links the two parts of the sentence by providing a reason or explanation. In this case, it explains that the changes may have a positive effect—which is why it’s important to react well to them.
What is the subject of the clause podem surpreender-te, and why isn't it stated explicitly?
The implied subject of podem surpreender-te is mudanças ("changes"), which is mentioned earlier in the sentence. Portuguese often omits repeating a noun when its reference is clear from the context, making the sentence more concise while retaining its full meaning.