Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Se te adiantares, espera‑me na entrada do teatro. - If you get there early, wait for me at the theatre entrance.

Portuguese normally uses the future subjunctive in conditional clauses with se when referring to a future possibility. It’s the standard way to mean “if/when you happen to… (in the future).” Using the present indicative (se te adiantas) would suggest a habitual condition (“if you usually go ahead”), not a one‑off future scenario.

Can I say Se te adiantas instead of Se te adiantares?

You can, but the meaning shifts:

Se te adiantares = if you go ahead (on this future occasion).
Se te adiantas = if you tend to go ahead (habitually/regularly). For a specific plan about meeting up later, Se te adiantares is the natural choice.

Why is the pronoun te before adiantares?

Because the subordinating conjunction se attracts the clitic pronoun to the left (proclisis). In European Portuguese, words like se, quando, como, que, porque, embora, caso typically trigger proclisis. So it’s se te adiantares, not se adiantares‑te.

Is Se adiantares‑te ever acceptable?

No. After the conjunction se, proclisis is required, so the pronoun must come before the verb: Se te adiantares is correct; Se adiantares‑te is ungrammatical.

What exactly does adiantar‑se mean here?

Here adiantar‑se means “to go ahead (of someone)” or “to get there earlier than the others.” Don’t confuse it with:

adiantar (non‑reflexive) = to bring forward/move ahead (a time or task), or to advance (money).
apressar‑se = to hurry up (different idea).

Why is it espera‑me and not me espera?

In European Portuguese, affirmative imperatives take enclisis (pronoun after the verb with a hyphen). So:

Affirmative: Espera‑me.
Negative: Não me esperes. Starting an affirmative imperative with a clitic (Me espera) is a Brazilian pattern; it’s non‑standard in Portugal.

Is espera por mim also correct? Any difference from espera‑me?

Yes. Both are correct in Portugal:

Esperar alguém (transitive): Espera‑me.
Esperar por alguém (with a preposition): Espera por mim. In everyday European Portuguese, esperar por mim is very common and sounds completely natural; espera‑me is also idiomatic and succinct.

How does the sentence change in the negative?

Switch to the negative imperative (which uses the present subjunctive) and proclisis:

Não me esperes na entrada do teatro.

How would I say it with você or in the plural?

With você (formal/distant singular): Se você se adiantar, espere‑me na entrada do teatro. / …espere por mim…
With vocês (plural): Se vocês se adiantarem, esperem‑me na entrada do teatro. / …esperem por mim… Note: You’ll often see the subject pronoun (você/vocês) expressed to avoid the visual se se sequence.

Why is there a comma after the first clause?

A comma separates the conditional clause from the main clause when the conditional comes first. You can also invert the order:

Espera‑me na entrada do teatro, se te adiantares. Comma placement follows the same logic.

What do na and do stand for?

They’re contractions:

na = em + a → “in/at the”
do = de + o → “of the” So na entrada do teatro = “at the entrance of the theater.”

Could I say à entrada do teatro or à porta do teatro instead of na entrada do teatro?

Yes, with nuances:

na entrada do teatro: at/in the entrance area (location itself).
à entrada do teatro: idiomatic for “at the entrance” (often the point of entry, inside or just by it).
à porta do teatro: literally “at the door of the theater,” usually outside/right by the door. All are good meeting points; choose based on the exact spot you mean.

What about em frente do/ao teatro or na frente do teatro?

em frente do/ao teatro = in front of the theater (facing it, usually across the street).
na frente do teatro can mean “at the front part of the theater” (not necessarily across from it). For the “opposite/across” meaning, prefer em frente do/ao.

Can I include the subject tu? Is it required?

It’s optional. Portuguese is a pro‑drop language, so the verb ending already shows the subject. You can say Se tu te adiantares… for emphasis or clarity, but Se te adiantares… is perfectly normal.

How do I form the future subjunctive of adiantar(-se)?

Start from the 3rd‑person plural preterite (adiantaram), drop ‑am to get the stem adiantar‑, then add endings:

eu/ele/ela: adiantar (e.g., se me/ele se adiantar)
tu: adiantares (e.g., se te adiantares)
nós: adiantarmos (e.g., se nos adiantarmos)
vós: adiantardes
eles/elas: adiantarem (e.g., se se adiantarem) Remember proclisis in these clauses: se te adiantares, not se adiantares‑te.

Any quick pronunciation tips (Portugal)?

se te: the vowels are short; te sounds like a very reduced “tuh” [tɨ].
adiantares: stress on ta → a‑dian‑TÁ‑res.
espera‑me: stress on spe → e‑SPE‑ra‑me; initial e often sounds like [ʃ] + pera → [ʃ'peɾɐ mɨ].
teatro: stress on a → te‑A‑tro; often [tɨ.'a.tɾu] in EP.
teatro and entrada have clear vowels; don’t nasalize them.