Breakdown of Eu tenho saudades da minha irmã quando ela viaja.
eu
I
ela
she
minha
my
de
of
quando
when
viajar
to travel
ter saudade de
to miss
a irmã
the sister
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Portuguese grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Eu tenho saudades da minha irmã quando ela viaja.
What is the significance of using the verb ter with saudades in this sentence?
In Portuguese, expressing the feeling of missing someone is done by using the construction ter saudades de. Rather than saying “I miss,” you literally say “I have saudades.” This idiomatic structure is deeply ingrained in the language and doesn’t translate word-for-word into English. In the sentence, Eu tenho saudades da minha irmã, the speaker is saying they have a sense of longing or missing their sister.
Why is the word saudades used in the plural form even though the feeling might seem singular?
Although the concept of missing someone might seem like a single feeling, Portuguese traditionally uses the plural saudades to capture the complexity and multitude of emotions involved. It suggests that the emotion is not a singular, isolated sentiment but has various layers. This plural usage is simply a conventional part of the language, leaving learners to adapt their thinking from the singular structure often seen in English.
What is the function of the contraction da in da minha irmã?
The contraction da combines the preposition de (of/from) and the feminine definite article a into a single word. The full expression would be de a minha irmã, but in Portuguese, it is standard to contract these to da. This contraction agrees with the feminine noun minha irmã (my sister) and reflects typical grammatical practice in Portuguese.
What role does the clause quando ela viaja play in the sentence?
The clause quando ela viaja functions as an adverbial subordinate clause that specifies the condition or timing related to the main action. It tells us that the speaker experiences saudades specifically when she travels. In other words, her traveling is the trigger or situation during which the speaker feels this longing.
What tense and mood is the verb viaja in, and what does it signify in this context?
The verb viaja is in the present indicative tense. In this context, it is used to describe a habitual or general situation—that is, every time she travels, the action (or feeling) occurs. Even though it’s in the present, it’s not referring solely to what is happening right now but rather to a recurring condition in the speaker’s life.