Breakdown of Se pagares em notas grandes, lembra-te sempre de verificar o troco.
sempre
always
se
if
pagar
to pay
verificar
to check
grande
large
o troco
the change
lembrar‑se
to remember
de
to
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Questions & Answers about Se pagares em notas grandes, lembra-te sempre de verificar o troco.
Why is the verb pagares used here instead of the simple present form?
In European Portuguese, conditional sentences that refer to a possible future action often use the future subjunctive. Pagares is the second person singular future subjunctive of pagar. Although English uses the simple present (“if you pay”), Portuguese requires this form in “if”-clauses to indicate actions that may happen later.
What does the phrase notas grandes mean in this sentence?
Notas refers to banknotes (or bills), and grandes means big or large. Together, notas grandes specifically refers to large or high-denomination banknotes. The sentence is advising that if you pay with such bills, there’s a risk of receiving the wrong amount of change.
Why is the reflexive pronoun te attached to lembra forming lembra-te?
The verb lembrar-se (“to remember”) is reflexive in Portuguese. When giving an informal command addressing “you” (singular), the reflexive pronoun te is added to the verb, resulting in lembra-te. This construction indicates that you should remember something yourself.
Why is the preposition de used after lembra-te in lembra-te sempre de verificar o troco?
In Portuguese, when the reflexive verb lembrar-se is followed by an infinitive to express “remember to do something,” it always requires the preposition de before that infinitive. Therefore, lembra-te de verificar o troco translates to “remember to check the change,” following this fixed grammatical pattern.
Why is the subject omitted in both parts of the sentence?
Portuguese often omits subject pronouns because the verb conjugations already indicate who is being addressed. In this sentence, both the conditional clause (se pagares...) and the imperative (lembra-te...) imply the subject “you.” This is a common feature in Portuguese, making the sentence more concise while still being clear about who is performing the action.