Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Eu sinto orgulho quando o Pedro vence a corrida.

In European Portuguese it’s very common to put the definite article before people’s first names. So instead of saying just “Pedro,” speakers will say o Pedro (masculine) or a Maria (feminine). In Brazilian Portuguese this usage is less frequent and often considered informal or regional.

Can I drop the subject pronoun “Eu” and just say “Sinto orgulho quando o Pedro vence a corrida”?

Yes. Portuguese is a pro-drop language, meaning the verb ending already tells you who the subject is. “Sinto” (I feel) clearly indicates first person singular, so you can safely omit eu. Including it (“Eu sinto…”) adds emphasis or clarity, but is not strictly necessary.

Why do we use the verb sinto instead of estou sentindo?

“Sinto orgulho” is the natural way to express a feeling with the noun orgulho (“pride”). Using the simple present sinto describes a general or habitual feeling. Estou sentindo is a present continuous (progressive) and is rarely used for emotional states in Portuguese—emotions are typically expressed in the simple present with sentir plus a noun (e.g. sinto medo, sinto alegria).

Why use the noun orgulho and not the adjective orgulhoso?

There are two common ways to say “I am proud” in Portuguese:

Sentir
- noun: “Sinto orgulho (de…).”
Estar
- adjective: “Estou orgulhoso (de…).”
  In your sentence, the structure is sentir
  - the noun orgulho. If you wanted to use the adjective instead, you’d say “Eu fico orgulhoso quando o Pedro vence a corrida” or “Estou orgulhoso quando o Pedro vence…”

Shouldn’t we say “sinto orgulho de o Pedro” to show “proud of Pedro”?

You only need the preposition de (“of”) when you connect orgulho directly to a person or thing: “Sinto orgulho dele” or “Sinto orgulho de tu.” But here the object is not the person alone, it’s the whole clause “quando o Pedro vence a corrida.” A conjunction like quando introduces that clause, so no extra de is used.

Why is the verb in the subordinate clause vence (present) and not a futur e or subjunctive form?

Portuguese uses the simple present to talk about habitual actions or general truths: “Whenever Pedro wins a race, I feel proud.” That’s a repeated event, not a one-off future occurrence. If you were speaking about a single future race, you might say:
“Quando o Pedro vencer a corrida, sentirei orgulho.”
Notice vencer becomes vencer→vencer in the supine and sentirei (future of sentir).

Could I use ganhar instead of vencer? What’s the difference?

Yes, ganhar a corrida and vencer a corrida are both correct and largely interchangeable.
• Vencer is slightly more formal or literary.
• Ganhar is more colloquial and widely used in everyday speech.

Is the article a before corrida mandatory?

Since corrida is a specific feminine singular noun here (“the race”), you normally include the definite article a. If you meant “a race” in general, you could say uma corrida. You can’t just say Pedro vence corrida without article—that would sound incomplete.

Can I reverse the word order and say “Quando o Pedro vence a corrida, eu sinto orgulho”?

Absolutely. Portuguese allows you to start with the subordinate clause for emphasis or style. Both orders are correct:

“Eu sinto orgulho quando o Pedro vence a corrida.”
“Quando o Pedro vence a corrida, eu sinto orgulho.”
The meaning stays the same; you’re just highlighting the timing of your pride.