Breakdown of Se receares a reação dos teus colegas, podes falar com calma e explicar tudo.
de
of
e
and
poder
to be able to
com
with
falar
to speak
tudo
everything
se
if
calmo
calm
explicar
to explain
teu
your
recear
to fear
a reação
the reaction
o colega
the colleague
Questions & Answers about Se receares a reação dos teus colegas, podes falar com calma e explicar tudo.
What does receares mean, and why is it conjugated in this way?
Receares is the second person singular form of the verb recear in the future subjunctive mood. In this sentence, it translates roughly as if you fear or if you are afraid of. In Portuguese (Portugal), the future subjunctive is commonly used in conditional clauses—especially after se (if)—to talk about a condition that might occur in the future.
Why is the future subjunctive used here instead of the present subjunctive?
Portuguese uses the future subjunctive in conditional sentences when referring to a potential future event. Although the present subjunctive is also used for uncertainty, in conditionals that imply a possibility in the future (like this one), the future subjunctive is the grammatically correct choice. That’s why receares (future subjunctive) is used instead of, say, receies (which would be the present subjunctive form).
What does teus colegas mean?
Teus colegas means your colleagues. The word teus is an informal second person singular possessive adjective commonly used in European Portuguese to refer to someone’s (masculine plural) colleagues or peers.
How is the sentence structured?
The sentence is structured as a conditional sentence with two main parts divided by a comma. The if-clause is Se receares a reação dos teus colegas (if you fear your colleagues’ reaction), and the main clause is podes falar com calma e explicar tudo (you can speak calmly and explain everything). This structure clearly establishes a condition and its consequence.
Why are falar and explicar in the infinitive form?
After the modal verb podes (you can), it is standard in Portuguese to use other verbs in their infinitive forms. This is why both falar (to speak) and explicar (to explain) appear in the infinitive—this construction expresses that, under the given condition, you have the ability or permission to perform these actions.
What does com calma mean, and what function does it serve in the sentence?
Com calma means with calm or calmly. It is an adverbial phrase modifying the verb falar, indicating the manner in which you should speak. Essentially, it advises that if you are worried about your colleagues’ reaction, you should take your time to talk in a calm, measured way.
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