Breakdown of Se a onda estiver forte, deixo a prancha na areia por segurança.
estar
to be
em
in
se
if
deixar
to leave
por
for
forte
strong
a areia
the sand
a prancha
the board
a onda
the wave
a segurança
the safety
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Questions & Answers about Se a onda estiver forte, deixo a prancha na areia por segurança.
Why is the verb estiver used instead of the indicative está?
The subordinate clause introduced by se expresses a hypothetical or uncertain condition. In Portuguese, that calls for the present subjunctive (estiver) rather than the indicative (está). It’s like saying “if the wave happens to be strong.”
Why is deixo (I leave) in the present tense rather than a future tense?
Portuguese often uses the present indicative to refer to future actions in conditional sentences. It’s similar to “if it rains tomorrow, I bring my umbrella.” The present tense expresses a planned or habitual response.
What does por segurança mean, and can I use para segurança instead?
- Por segurança literally means “for safety” or “as a safety measure.”
- It’s an idiomatic fixed phrase. Using para segurança is technically understandable but far less common.
- You can also say por precaução, which is a close synonym meaning “as a precaution.”
Why are there definite articles a before onda and a before prancha? Can I say se onda estiver forte?
Portuguese usually requires definite articles before singular countable nouns when speaking generally or about a known context. Omitting the article sounds unnatural and ungrammatical.
Correct: Se a onda estiver forte…
Incorrect: Se onda estiver forte…
Does prancha always refer to a surfboard?
Not always. Prancha means any “board” (e.g., wooden plank, ironing board), but in a beach or surfing context it specifically means “surfboard.”
Could you say Se as ondas estiverem fortes… instead? What changes?
Yes.
- Se as ondas estiverem fortes… uses the plural, generalizing to “waves” rather than a particular “wave.”
- It shifts the focus to overall surf conditions instead of a single big wave.
Why is the phrase na areia placed after deixo a prancha? Could you say na areia deixo a prancha?
The neutral word order in Portuguese is Subject-Verb-Object-Complement: deixo a prancha na areia. You can front na areia for emphasis or stylistic effect: Na areia deixo a prancha, but it sounds more marked or poetic.
Can I use vou deixar a prancha na areia instead of deixo?
Yes. Vou deixar a prancha na areia por segurança uses the periphrastic future (ir + infinitive) to emphasize the future intention. Both are correct; deixo is more concise and often used for immediate or habitual actions.
How do conditional sentences with se work in Portuguese?
Portuguese has several types of se-clauses:
- Real Conditions:
- Structure: Se
- present indicative → present/future indicative
- Ex: Se chove, fico em casa.
- Structure: Se
- Potential/Hypothetical Conditions:
- Structure: Se
- present subjunctive → present indicative or conditional
- Ex: Se a onda estiver forte, deixo a prancha…
- Structure: Se
- Unreal Past Conditions:
- Structure: Se
- past perfect subjunctive → conditional perfect
- Ex: Se eu tivesse sabido, teria vindo.
- Structure: Se