Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Se o micro-ondas não aquecer, usamos o fogão. - If the microwave doesn’t heat, we’ll use the stove.

It’s the future subjunctive. After se (if) to talk about a possible future condition, Portuguese uses the future subjunctive: the 3rd‑person singular of aquecer in that tense is aquecer (identical in form to the infinitive). So Se o micro-ondas não aquecer… = If the microwave doesn’t heat (when/if that happens in the future) …

Could I say Se o micro-ondas não aquece, usamos o fogão instead?

Yes, but it changes the nuance. Não aquece (present indicative) suggests a habitual/general fact (e.g., “if our microwave doesn’t heat, we use the stove” as a routine or because it’s faulty). Não aquecer (future subjunctive) is for a specific future possibility.

Why not use the present subjunctive, like Se o micro-ondas não aqueça?

That’s not idiomatic in Portuguese for real, open if conditions. With se meaning “if,” you normally use:

future subjunctive for future possibilities: Se não aquecer…
present indicative for general truths/habits: Se não aquece… The present subjunctive after se is reserved for other meanings (e.g., concessive with ainda que), not standard “if X then Y.”

Why is there a comma after the se clause?

When the se (if-) clause comes first, you put a comma before the main clause: Se …, …. If you put the se clause second, you usually don’t use a comma: Usamos o fogão se o micro-ondas não aquecer.

Why is usamos (present) used to talk about what we’ll do in the future?

Portuguese often uses the present indicative for near-future plans in conditional sentences: it reads as a straightforward consequence whenever the condition happens. It’s natural and common in European Portuguese.

Would usaremos o fogão or vamos usar o fogão also be correct?

Yes:

Vamos usar (ir + infinitive) is very common and neutral in speech.
Usaremos (simple future) is correct but sounds more formal or written. All three—usamos, vamos usar, usaremos—work; choose based on tone.

Does aquecer need an object? Is Se o micro-ondas não aquecer a comida better?

Aquecer can be transitive or intransitive:

Transitive: aquecer a comida (heat the food).
Intransitive: o micro-ondas não aquece (doesn’t heat/doesn’t get things hot). In your sentence, the object is understood (food, the dish, etc.), so leaving it implicit is perfectly fine.

Is micro-ondas masculine or feminine, and how do I use the article?

It’s masculine: o micro-ondas (the microwave), um micro-ondas (a microwave). In Portugal, that’s the standard gender.

Why does micro-ondas end in -s if it’s singular?

Because it’s a compound noun meaning literally “microwaves” (short for forno de micro-ondas). The word micro-ondas is invariable in the singular; the final -s belongs to the compound, not to plural marking.

How do I make the plural of micro-ondas?

It stays the same (invariable):

singular: um micro-ondas
plural: dois/três/uns micro-ondas Only the article/number changes: os micro-ondas.

Is the hyphen in micro-ondas necessary?

The standard European Portuguese spelling is micro-ondas (with a hyphen). You may see microondas informally, but dictionaries and style guides in Portugal prefer micro-ondas.

How do you pronounce micro-ondas and fogão in European Portuguese?

micro-ondas: roughly MEE-kru OHN-dush
- tapped Portuguese r in micro; nasal ON (like French “on”) in -ondas; final s sounds like English “sh.”
fogão: roughly foo-GOWN (with a nasal vowel in -gão; don’t fully pronounce an “n,” just nasalize the vowel).

Could I use esquentar instead of aquecer?

In Portugal, aquecer is the default verb for “to heat (up).” Esquentar is widely used in Brazil; in European Portuguese it’s understood but less common in standard usage. Prefer aquecer in Portugal.

Does fogão mean the whole stove, just the hob, or the oven?

In Portugal:

fogão usually refers to the whole stove/cooker unit (hob + oven) if it’s a freestanding appliance.
If the hob is built into a counter, people often say a placa (the hob) and o forno (the oven) separately.