Breakdown of Eu mudar-me-ei para outra cidade no próximo ano, mas ainda não decidi qual.
eu
I
mas
but
a cidade
the city
ainda
still
não
not
para
to
decidir
to decide
outro
another
próximo
next
mudar-se
to move
o ano
the year
qual
which one
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Questions & Answers about Eu mudar-me-ei para outra cidade no próximo ano, mas ainda não decidi qual.
Why is the verb written as mudar-me-ei instead of the more common me mudarei?
In European Portuguese, verbs in the future simple tense can attach pronouns as enclitics. The form mudar-me-ei places the reflexive pronoun after the root, which is grammatically correct and often seen in formal or written contexts. Meanwhile, me mudarei is the proclitic form and is more common in everyday language; both convey the same meaning.
What role does the reflexive pronoun me play in this sentence?
The reflexive pronoun me indicates that the subject is performing the action on itself. Here, mudar-se (to move) is a reflexive verb used to express the idea of relocating one’s residence. So, Eu mudar-me-ei means “I will move (myself)”—that is, I will relocate.
How is the future tense formed in this sentence?
Portuguese often forms the future tense by taking the infinitive and adding specific endings. In the case of mudar-me-ei, the base verb mudar-se is adapted by inserting the pronoun and appending the first person singular future ending -ei. This creates a single word that expresses the future action.
Why is the interrogative pronoun qual used at the end without a noun following it?
Qual functions as “which one” in English. The noun it refers to—cidade (city)—has already been mentioned in para outra cidade. Omitting the repeated noun is common in Portuguese to avoid redundancy when the referent is clear from the context.
What is the complete meaning of the sentence in English?
The sentence translates to: “I will move to another city next year, but I still haven’t decided which one.” It clearly states a future plan to relocate while expressing uncertainty about the specific destination.
Is there any difference in meaning between using the enclitic form mudar-me-ei and the proclitic form me mudarei?
No, there is no difference in meaning. Both forms express the same future action. The difference lies in stylistic and regional preferences: mudar-me-ei is more formal and traditionally found in European Portuguese, whereas me mudarei is more common in everyday conversation.
What does the contraction no in no próximo ano signify?
No is a contraction of the preposition em (“in”) and the article o (“the”). Therefore, no próximo ano literally means “in the next year,” which is how Portuguese commonly indicates time expressions.