Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Se não puderes vir jantar, não precisas de cancelar tudo. - If you can’t come to dinner, you don’t need to cancel everything.

Puderes is the future subjunctive form of the verb poder for the second-person singular (the informal tu). In Portuguese, particularly in conditional clauses referring to future or uncertain actions, the future subjunctive is used. Here, it translates roughly as "if you are not able to" (come for dinner).

Why is the verb cancelar in its infinitive form after precisas de?

In European Portuguese, when using modal verbs like precisar (meaning "to need"), the construction requires the preposition de followed by the infinitive form of the main verb. So, precisas de cancelar translates to "you don't need to cancel," adhering to this grammatical structure.

Why is the sentence structured with the conditional clause at the beginning?

Placing the conditional clause—Se não puderes vir jantar—at the beginning is a common structure in Portuguese. It clearly establishes the condition "if you can’t come for dinner" first, followed by the consequence or reassurance "you don’t need to cancel everything." This order helps emphasize the dependency between the two parts.

What does jantar refer to in this context?

In this sentence, jantar functions as a verb meaning "to dine" or "to have dinner." The phrase vir jantar is equivalent to "come for dinner" in English, indicating the invitation to join for an evening meal.

Who is being addressed in this sentence based on the verb forms used?

The sentence uses informal second-person singular verb forms (puderes and precisas), which indicates that the speaker is addressing someone as tu. This is the typical informal mode of address in European Portuguese, distinguishing it from the more formal você.