Se tudo correr bem, hei de ver o cartaz da peça iluminado no centro da cidade.

If everything goes well, I will see the play’s poster lit up in the city centre.

Breakdown of Se tudo correr bem, hei de ver o cartaz da peça iluminado no centro da cidade.

• de: of
• a cidade: the city
• em: in
• bem: well
• tudo: everything
• se: if
• ver: to see
• correr: to run
• o centro: the centre
• a peça: the play
• haver de: to have to
• o cartaz: the poster
• iluminado: lit up

Questions & Answers about Se tudo correr bem, hei de ver o cartaz da peça iluminado no centro da cidade.

What does Se tudo correr bem mean, and why is correr used instead of correrá or corra?

Se tudo correr bem literally means “If everything goes (runs) well.” In Portuguese, conditional clauses introduced by se (“if”) generally use:

• the personal infinitive (correr here, because the subject tudo is explicit)
• or the present subjunctive (corra) in more formal or literary styles
  You do not use the future indicative (correrá) in an “if” clause.

What does hei de mean, and how is it different from vou and devo?

hei de + infinitive is a periphrasis meaning “I shall/must.” It conveys a determined intention or mild obligation.

• hei de ver = “I shall see” (formal/resolved plan)
• vou ver = “I’m going to see” (neutral future plan)
• devo ver = “I must see” (strong obligation)

Why is the definite article o used before cartaz and peça?

Portuguese normally uses definite articles with specific nouns:

• o cartaz (“the poster”)
• a peça (“the play”)
  If you said um cartaz or uma peça, you’d imply “a poster” or “a play,” not that specific one.

What is the contraction da in cartaz da peça, and how does it work?

da = de + a, i.e., “of the” (feminine singular). Portuguese always contracts de + article:

• de + o = do
• de + a = da
• de + os = dos
• de + as = das
  So cartaz da peça means “poster of the play.”

Why is iluminado placed after cartaz, and how does adjective placement work in Portuguese?

In Portuguese the normal order is noun + adjective, so cartaz iluminado = “illuminated poster.” Placing an adjective before the noun (e.g., um iluminado cartaz) is possible but gives a poetic or emphatic nuance. Adjectives also agree in gender and number:

• o cartaz iluminado (masc. sing.)
• os cartazes iluminados (masc. pl.)

What does no stand for in no centro da cidade, and why not just use em?

no = em + o (“in the,” masc. sing.). Portuguese requires the article for specific places:

• no centro = em + o centro
• na cidade = em + a cidade
  You can’t say em centro or em cidade when you mean “in the center” or “in the city.”

Could you replace hei de with vou in this sentence? What nuance would change?

Yes – you get:
Se tudo correr bem, vou ver o cartaz da peça iluminado no centro da cidade.
Difference:

• vou ver is a neutral future plan (“I’m going to see”).
• hei de ver adds determination or a mild obligation (“I shall/must see”), and feels more formal or “resolved” in European Portuguese.

Is iluminado functioning as a participle or an adjective in this sentence?

Here, iluminado acts as an adjective describing the state of the poster (“lit up”). Although it comes from the past participle of iluminar, its role after cartaz is purely adjectival. You’re describing what you will see.

What tense is used in hei de ver, and why is ver in the infinitive?

In hei de ver:

• hei = first-person singular present of haver
• de = preposition
• ver = main verb in the infinitive
  The structure haver de + infinitive forms a periphrastic future expressing intention or obligation, and the main verb remains in the infinitive.