Breakdown of Se encomendares o almoço agora, chega a tempo de comermos ao meio-dia.
comer
to eat
agora
now
chegar
to arrive
se
if
o almoço
the lunch
o
the
encomendar
to order
a tempo de
in time for
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Questions & Answers about Se encomendares o almoço agora, chega a tempo de comermos ao meio-dia.
What is the meaning and grammatical role of "Se encomendares" in this sentence?
"Se" means "if" in English, and "encomendares" is the second person singular future subjunctive form of the verb "encomendar" (to order). This construction is used in conditional clauses to indicate a potential future action, so together they mean "if you order".
Why is the future subjunctive used in the if‑clause rather than the present indicative?
In European Portuguese, the future subjunctive is typically used in conditional (if‑clause) constructions to refer to actions that may occur in the future. Although English uses the simple present in conditions (e.g., “if you order”), Portuguese employs the future subjunctive ("encomendares") to clearly indicate that the action is contingent upon a future event.
How is the phrase "chega a tempo de comermos ao meio-dia" structured and what does it mean?
This phrase translates to "it arrives in time for us to eat at noon." Here, "chega" is the present indicative of "chegar" (to arrive), "a tempo de" means "in time for," and "comermos" is the personal infinitive form of "comer" (to eat), indicating that "we" will perform the action. The structure shows that if the condition is met, the lunch will arrive soon enough to allow us to eat at noon.
Why is the personal infinitive "comermos" used instead of the simple infinitive "comer"?
Portuguese often uses the personal infinitive when it is important to indicate the specific subject of an action within a subordinate clause. In this sentence, "comermos" explicitly shows that the eating is to be done by "us". The simple infinitive "comer" would be more impersonal and might not clarify who is expected to eat, whereas the personal infinitive adds that necessary specificity.
What is the overall structure of this conditional sentence and how does it compare to similar sentences in English?
The sentence is composed of two parts: the if‑clause ("Se encomendares o almoço agora") which sets up a condition, and the main clause ("chega a tempo de comermos ao meio-dia") which states the result. This mirrors English conditional sentences like "If you order lunch now, it arrives in time for us to eat at noon." However, while English often uses the present simple in the conditional clause, Portuguese uses the future subjunctive in the if‑clause and a structure with a personal infinitive in the main clause to express the timely outcome.
Is the use of verb forms in this sentence formal or informal, and why?
The sentence uses the informal second person singular form—"encomendares"—which is customary in everyday, conversational European Portuguese when addressing someone informally (using tu). This choice of form indicates a casual tone rather than a formal one.