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Questions & Answers about Se afiares o lápis, conseguirás traços mais finos.
What mood and tense is afiares, and why is it used here in the “if” clause?
Afiares is the second-person singular present subjunctive of afiar. In Portuguese (Portugal), when you express an open condition that leads to a future result, you normally use the present subjunctive after se in the protasis (“if” clause). The result clause then takes the future indicative.
Could I use the present indicative afias instead of afiares?
Yes, colloquially you might hear Se afias o lápis… with the present indicative, especially in speech. However, in standard European Portuguese grammar the protasis of a likely future condition is formed with the present subjunctive (afiares) rather than the indicative.
Why is conseguirás in the future indicative, and could I choose another form?
Conseguirás is the second-person singular future indicative of conseguir, matching the subjunctive in the if-clause. You could also say vais conseguir (the periphrastic future) in informal contexts:
• Se afiares o lápis, vais conseguir traços mais finos.
Using the conditional “would” (consegu irias or more naturally consegu irias, though rare) would change the nuance to a more hypothetical or polite tone:
• Se afiares o lápis, conseguirias traços mais finos.
Why is there a definite article o before lápis? Is it always necessary?
In Portuguese, concrete and specific nouns often take a definite article. Here o lápis refers to “the pencil” you’re sharpening. You could drop it in very terse instructions (Afia o lápis), but in a full sentence describing a result it’s common to include o.
Why is traços plural, and why must finos also be plural?
You normally make more than one line or stroke when drawing, so traços is plural. Portuguese adjectives agree in number (and gender) with the noun they modify, so fino becomes finos to match traços (masculine plural).
How is the comparative formed with mais finos, and are there alternatives?
Portuguese typically forms comparatives of superiority with mais + adjective, here mais finos (“finer”). Less formal or literary alternatives include using prefixes or suffixes (rare with fino), but mais finos is the standard. There is no one-word comparative like English “finer.”
Could I say traços mais fininhos to emphasize extra thinness?
You could attach the diminutive -zinho for a more affectionate or colloquial feel (fininho → fininhozinho is overdone, so just fininhos), but it gives a different, cutesy nuance. For a straightforward comparative stick with mais finos.