Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Se fores a pé, verás que o centro parece menos longe do que pensavas. - If you go on foot, you will see that the centre seems less far than you thought.

fores is the future subjunctive of ir (to go). In Portuguese, after a conditional conjunction like se (if) referring to a future event, you must use the future subjunctive rather than the present indicative (tu vais). It marks a condition that may or may not happen.

What does a pé mean, and why do we use a before pé?

a pé literally means “on foot” or “walking.” In Portuguese, locomotion by foot requires the preposition a plus pé (foot). There is no article between them, so it stays a pé, not ao pé.

Why is verás in the simple future indicative, and could we use a conditional like verias instead?

In the protasis–apodosis structure (if–then), Portuguese normally pairs the future subjunctive (se fores) with the future indicative (verás). A conditional form like verias (“you would see”) sounds more hypothetical or polite, but the standard logical consequence after se + future subjunctive is the future indicative.

What role does parece play here, and could we say parece estar or use another verb like fica?

parece means “seems.” You could say parece estar to emphasize ongoing perception (“seems to be”); it’s not wrong but more wordy. fica tends to mean “becomes” or “ends up,” which changes the nuance. parece focuses on the impression you get when you walk.

How does the comparative menos longe do que work, and why is there do before que?

Portuguese comparatives of inferiority use menos + adjective + do que (a contraction of de que). So menos longe do que literally means “less far than.” You need de before que, and it contracts with the definite article when required, hence do.

Can I replace menos longe with mais perto?

Yes. menos longe (“less far”) and mais perto (“closer”) are synonyms in this context. The choice is stylistic: mais perto is slightly more common in speech, while menos longe emphasizes the reduction of perceived distance.

Why is pensavas in the imperfect tense, and could we use the perfect (pensaste) instead?

pensavas (imperfect) expresses an ongoing or habitual thought in the past (“you used to think”). pensaste (perfect) would refer to a single completed thought at one moment. Here the sentence contrasts a past assumption with the new perception you’ll have on foot, so imperfect is the natural choice.

Why is there a definite article before centro, and could we say simply verás que centro?

In Portuguese it’s standard to use the definite article before generic place names like o centro (“the center”). Omitting it (verás que centro) sounds ungrammatical.

Which subject pronoun goes with fores, and why is it omitted? Could we use você instead of tu?

fores is second person singular (tu). Portuguese normally drops subject pronouns because verb endings indicate the subject. In Brazil you might prefer the more formal você for (“if you go”) with for (third-person subjunctive) instead of fores, but in Portugal tu fores is perfectly natural.