Breakdown of Quando preparares a refeição, abre a porta da cozinha para manter o espaço ventilado.
de
of
a cozinha
the kitchen
abrir
to open
a porta
the door
quando
when
para
to
preparar
to prepare
a refeição
the meal
manter
to keep
ventilado
ventilated
o espaço
the space
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Questions & Answers about Quando preparares a refeição, abre a porta da cozinha para manter o espaço ventilado.
Why is preparares used instead of preparas in the clause "Quando preparares a refeição"?
Preparares is in the future subjunctive form, which is used in Portuguese (Portugal) after temporal conjunctions like quando when referring to a future action. In this case, it indicates that once you (informally) have prepared the meal, you should then follow the subsequent instruction.
What is the grammatical function of abre in this sentence?
Abre is the imperative form of the verb abrir (“to open”). It serves as a command or instruction, telling the listener to open the kitchen door once the meal is being prepared, thus controlling the sequence of actions.
How does the phrase para manter o espaço ventilado function in the sentence?
The phrase para manter o espaço ventilado is a purpose clause. The preposition para followed by the infinitive manter (meaning “to keep” or “to maintain”) explains the reason for opening the door—so that the space remains properly ventilated.
Why don’t we see a subject pronoun like tu explicitly stated in the sentence?
In Portuguese, subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb conjugation already indicates the subject. Both preparares and abre make it clear that the command is addressed to “you” (singular, informal), so there’s no need to include tu explicitly.
How does the structure of this sentence compare to a similar sentence in English?
The sentence is structured with a temporal subordinate clause (Quando preparares a refeição) followed by a main clause (an imperative command: abre a porta da cozinha para manter o espaço ventilado). This is similar to English sentences like “When you prepare the meal, open the kitchen door to keep the space ventilated,” where the order of actions and the purpose clause are clearly defined.