Breakdown of É desagradável caminhar sem guarda-chuva quando chove.
ser
to be
quando
when
sem
without
caminhar
to walk
o guarda-chuva
the umbrella
chover
to rain
desagradável
unpleasant
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Questions & Answers about É desagradável caminhar sem guarda-chuva quando chove.
Why does the sentence start with É? What’s the function of “É desagradável” here?
“É” is the third-person singular of ser used impersonally to introduce a general statement or opinion. The structure É + adjective (É desagradável) expresses that something is unpleasant in general. The real subject (the infinitive phrase caminhar sem guarda-chuva quando chove) comes after the verb.
Why is the verb caminhar in the infinitive rather than a finite form or gerund?
The infinitive caminhar functions like a noun, naming the action itself. After É + adjective, Portuguese typically uses the infinitive to refer to actions in general. Using a gerund (andando or caminhando) would change the structure and focus, and a finite verb would require a different subject or style.
Why is there no article before guarda-chuva? Could we say um guarda-chuva?
In general statements, Portuguese often omits the article after sem. Saying caminhar sem guarda-chuva keeps it generic (“walking without an umbrella”). You can say caminhar sem um guarda-chuva to stress “without any umbrella,” but it’s slightly more specific. Using o guarda-chuva would refer to a particular umbrella already known in context.
Is guarda-chuva masculine or feminine? And how do you form the plural?
Guarda-chuva is masculine: o guarda-chuva. Its plural is regular: os guarda-chuvas, simply adding -s.
Why does the subordinate clause use quando chove in the present indicative instead of the subjunctive or gerund?
The clause quando chove states a general truth or habitual action (“whenever it rains”). In Portuguese, after quando for habitual events, you always use the present indicative. The subjunctive would imply uncertainty or future contingency, which isn’t the case here.
Could we say quando está a chover instead of quando chove? What’s the difference?
Yes. In European Portuguese, estar a chover is the progressive form, focusing on the ongoing action (“when it’s raining right now”). Quando chove is more general (“when it rains” habitually). Both are correct, but the first emphasizes the rain’s immediacy.
Can we replace caminhar with andar or another verb for “walk”? Any nuance?
Yes: É desagradável andar sem guarda-chuva quando chove. Caminhar is slightly more formal or literary; andar is more common in everyday speech. Both convey the same meaning here.
Are there informal synonyms for desagradável?
Yes. In casual speech you could use chato, irritante, incómodo or even péssimo, for example:
- É chato caminhar sem guarda-chuva quando chove.
- É irritante andar sem guarda-chuva quando está a chover.
Could the temporal clause quando chove appear at the beginning? How would that change the emphasis?
Yes: Quando chove, é desagradável caminhar sem guarda-chuva. Fronting the temporal clause emphasizes the “when it rains” part. The meaning stays the same; it just shifts the focus to the time frame.
Why not express this with ter de/ter que (“have to”)? For example: É desagradável ter que caminhar...?
You can if you want to stress obligation: É desagradável ter de caminhar sem guarda-chuva quando chove (“It’s unpleasant to have to walk without an umbrella when it rains”). Without ter de, it’s a neutral observation about the unpleasantness of the act itself, not about being forced into it.