Breakdown of Se o carro avariar, eu levo-o à oficina.
eu
I
o carro
the car
se
if
levar
to take
o
it
a oficina
the workshop
avariar
to break down
Questions & Answers about Se o carro avariar, eu levo-o à oficina.
What does the verb avariar mean in this sentence?
Avariar means "to break down" or "to suffer a malfunction." In this context, it indicates that the car might experience a mechanical failure.
Why is the object pronoun o attached to the end of levo (as in levo-o)?
In European Portuguese, particularly in affirmative sentences, it is common to place object pronouns after the conjugated verb (a phenomenon known as enclisis). Here, o refers back to o carro ("the car"), which is why it appears attached to levo.
What is the purpose of the contraction à before oficina?
À is the result of combining the preposition a (meaning "to") with the feminine definite article a. Since oficina ("workshop" or "repair shop") is a feminine noun, the correct form is à oficina.
Why is the present indicative used in the condition clause even though the sentence refers to a future possibility?
Portuguese often uses the present indicative in conditional sentences to indicate future possibilities. Even though the event (the car breaking down) is hypothetical and future-oriented, avariar is in the present form in the if-clause and levo is also present, yet the overall meaning clearly signals a future action.
How does this conditional sentence structure in Portuguese differ from the way we form similar conditionals in English?
In English, the if-clause typically uses the present simple ("If the car breaks down") but it is paired with a future form in the main clause ("I will take it to the workshop"). In Portuguese, both clauses use the present indicative to convey a future possibility, and additionally, the placement of the pronoun (as in levo-o) follows different syntactic rules compared to English.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Portuguese grammar?”
Portuguese grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning PortugueseMaster Portuguese — from Se o carro avariar, eu levo-o à oficina to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions