Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Sem rede Wi‑Fi, não consigo usar a internet.

Because it’s a fronted adverbial/prepositional phrase. In European Portuguese it’s common (and stylistically recommended) to separate such an initial circumstance with a comma: Sem rede Wi‑Fi, .... You can also write it without the comma, but the version with the comma reads more clearly.

Why use não consigo instead of não posso?

Conseguir = to manage/be able to (because of ability or conditions).
• Não consigo usar a internet = I can’t manage to use it (no network, so it’s not possible).
Poder = can/may (permission or possibility).
• Não posso usar a internet often implies I’m not allowed to, or circumstances forbid it (policy/rule), not necessarily a technical impossibility.

How does the structure conseguir + infinitive work?

It’s direct: no preposition.
• Consigo usar, Não consigo usar. Not consigo de usar.
Useful forms:
• Present: eu consigo, tu consegues, ele/ela consegue, nós conseguimos, vocês/eles conseguem
• Past (PPS): consegui, conseguiste, conseguiu, conseguimos, conseguiram

Can I include the subject pronoun eu?

Yes: Eu não consigo usar a internet. Portuguese normally drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the subject. Use eu for emphasis or contrast.

Why does it say a internet with a definite article?

European Portuguese typically uses the definite article with generic, mass, or abstract nouns. A internet is the standard way to say “the internet.” Saying just usar internet is possible but less idiomatic in Portugal.

Should Internet be capitalized?

Modern style favors lowercase: internet. Uppercase (Internet) is still accepted, especially in older or more formal texts. Both are understood.

Do I need the word rede? Could I just say Sem Wi‑Fi?

You can say either:

Sem Wi‑Fi, ... (very common and natural)
Sem rede Wi‑Fi, ... (explicitly mentions the network) Both are correct; rede adds specificity.

When would I say Sem a rede Wi‑Fi instead of Sem rede Wi‑Fi?

Use the article when referring to a specific, known network:

Sem a rede Wi‑Fi da escola, não conseguimos trabalhar.
Without the article is more generic: Sem rede Wi‑Fi, ...

Can I move the sem... phrase to the end?

Yes:

Não consigo usar a internet sem rede Wi‑Fi.
Same meaning, slightly different emphasis (focus stays on “can’t use the internet,” with the condition added at the end). No comma needed in this order.

If I replace a internet with a pronoun, where does the pronoun go?

After a negation, proclisis is preferred in EP:

Não a consigo usar.
Enclisis to the infinitive is also very common:
Não consigo usá‑la.
Both are fine in European Portuguese.

Does consigo ever mean “with you”?

Yes, consigo can be the contraction of com + si, meaning “with you” (formal) or “with him/her” in reflexive contexts: Posso falar consigo? In the sentence here, consigo is the 1st‑person singular of conseguir (“I can/manage”).

How do I pronounce the key words?

Sem: nasal “em,” roughly “seng.”
rede: “REH-de” (final “e” often a very light sound in EP).
Wi‑Fi: commonly “WEE-FYE” (uí‑fái).
não: nasal “ão,” like “now” with nasalization.
consigo: stress on the middle syllable: con‑SEE‑go.
usar: oo‑ZAR (final r is a soft/velar sound in EP).
internet: in‑tehr‑NEHT (stress on “net”).

Is this a double negative because of sem and não?

No. Sem (“without”) sits in an adverbial phrase; não negates the main verb. It’s the normal way to express “Without X, I can’t Y.”

Other natural ways to say this in Portugal?

Sem Wi‑Fi, não consigo aceder à internet. (EP verb; note à = a + a)
Sem Wi‑Fi, não consigo ligar‑me à internet.
Sem Wi‑Fi, não consigo navegar na internet.
Brazilian Portuguese would more likely use acessar a internet.

Should it be à internet here?

Not with usar. Usar takes a direct object: usar a internet.
You use à (a + a) with verbs that require the preposition a, e.g. aceder à internet, ligar‑se à internet.

Is the hyphen/dash in Wi‑Fi important?

You’ll see Wi‑Fi, Wi-fi, and wifi. The hyphenated, capitalized form (Wi‑Fi) is standard in formal writing, but wifi is very common in everyday text. A normal hyphen (-) is fine; the non‑breaking hyphen (‑) just prevents line breaks.

What about colloquial or related terms?

a net: informal for “the internet” (EP): Não consigo usar a net.
dados móveis: mobile data: Sem dados móveis, não consigo usar a internet fora de casa.
rede sem fios: literal “wireless network”: Sem rede sem fios, ... (more formal/technical).

What’s the gender of rede and internet, and how does agreement work?

Both are feminine:

Sem nenhuma rede Wi‑Fi.
usar a internet lenta / móvel (feminine adjectives).
Plural: Sem redes Wi‑Fi, não consigo...