Se quiseres aprender uma nova língua, é preciso despender bastante dedicação.

If you want to learn a new language, you need to spend a lot of dedication.

Breakdown of Se quiseres aprender uma nova língua, é preciso despender bastante dedicação.

• ser: to be
• querer: to want
• novo: new
• uma: a
• se: if
• a língua: the language
• preciso: necessary
• aprender: to learn
• despender: to spend
• bastante: a lot

Questions & Answers about Se quiseres aprender uma nova língua, é preciso despender bastante dedicação.

Why is quiseres used instead of queres in this sentence?

In European Portuguese, when setting up a condition that refers to a future possibility, the future subjunctive is used. Quiseres is the future subjunctive form of querer (“to want”) for the informal second-person singular. Although queres is the present indicative, in a conditional clause like this—“if you ever want to…”—the future subjunctive (quiseres) is the grammatically correct choice.

What does the phrase é preciso despender bastante dedicação mean in English?

It translates roughly to “it is necessary to expend (or put forth/spend) a lot of dedication.” In simpler terms, it means “you have to invest a lot of effort and commitment” if you want to learn a new language.

What exactly does despender imply here, and can it be used interchangeably with gastar?

Despender means “to expend” or “to invest,” especially in contexts of effort, time, or energy. While gastar also translates as “to spend” (often in relation to money), despender carries the nuance of allocating or devoting something valuable, like dedication or time. In this context, using despender emphasizes the idea that learning a language requires the significant investment of personal effort.

Why does the sentence start with Se, and what kind of structure does this create?

The sentence begins with Se (“if”), which introduces a conditional clause. This structure sets a condition that must be met (wanting to learn a new language) for the main statement (“it is necessary to expend a lot of dedication”) to apply. It’s a typical if-then construction that provides advice or states a requirement based on the condition.

What is the significance of bastante dedicação? Why not just dedicação?

Using bastante before dedicação adds emphasis, indicating that not just any amount of dedication is enough—it requires a considerable or substantial level of commitment. It stresses that learning a new language demands significant effort rather than a casual or minimal approach.

Is there any notable difference between using língua and idioma in this context?

Both língua and idioma refer to a language. In Portugal, língua is very commonly used and feels natural in everyday speech, whereas idioma is also correct but might sound a bit more formal or technical. In this sentence, língua is perfectly appropriate and aligns with the casual yet precise tone of the advice.