Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): A minha prioridade agora é ter uma rotina estável, mesmo quando estou cansado. - My priority now is to have a stable routine, even when I am tired.

In European Portuguese, possessive adjectives like meu / minha / meus / minhas are very often preceded by the definite article (o / a / os / as).

A minha prioridade = literally “the my priority,” but it just means “my priority.”
Omitting the article (minha prioridade) is possible, but in European Portuguese it sounds more marked or emphatic, or more typical in certain fixed expressions or more informal / poetic styles.

So for a neutral, natural sentence in European Portuguese, A minha prioridade is the default choice.

Why is there no eu before estou cansado? Could I say mesmo quando eu estou cansado?

Portuguese is a “pro‑drop” language: subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

quando estou cansado already tells you it’s I (1st person singular).
Adding eu (quando eu estou cansado) is grammatically correct but adds a bit of emphasis on I: “even when I am tired (as opposed to someone else).”

In a neutral sentence with no special emphasis, dropping eu is more natural: … mesmo quando estou cansado.

Why is it é ter uma rotina estável and not something like é que tenho uma rotina estável?

The structure é + infinitive is very common in Portuguese for talking about goals, priorities, plans, etc., exactly like English “is to do X”:

A minha prioridade é ter uma rotina estável
= “My priority is to have a stable routine.”

If you said A minha prioridade é que tenho uma rotina estável, it would sound odd and unidiomatic. That structure would usually describe a fact you already have, not a goal:

O importante é que tenho uma rotina estável
= “The important thing is that I do have a stable routine.”

For something you aim for, you typically use é + infinitive: é ter, é aprender, é organizar, etc.

Why is it uma rotina estável (with uma) and not a rotina estável or just rotina estável?

Rotina is a countable noun here (“a routine”), so Portuguese normally uses an article:

uma rotina estável = “a stable routine” (non‑specific: any stable routine in general)
a rotina estável = “the stable routine” (a specific routine, already known in context)

Because we’re talking about a general type of routine as a goal, uma rotina estável (indefinite article) is the natural choice.
Leaving the article out (ter rotina estável) would sound incomplete or telegraphic in standard Portuguese.

Why does the adjective come after the noun in rotina estável, and does word order change the meaning?

In Portuguese, the default order is noun + adjective:

rotina estável = routine (that is) stable
casa grande = big house
livro interessante = interesting book

Putting the adjective before the noun is possible, but it’s less common and often changes the nuance (more emotional, literary, or giving the adjective special focus).

Here, estável after rotina is completely standard and neutral: it just describes what kind of routine it is. estável rotina would sound strange or overly poetic.

What exactly does mesmo quando mean here? How is it different from mesmo que?

mesmo quando literally means “even when”:

… mesmo quando estou cansado.
= “… even when I am tired.”

It introduces a time clause that is presented as real / factual or habitual: there are times when you are tired.

mesmo que usually means “even if / even though” and triggers the subjunctive. It often has a more hypothetical or concessive feel:

… mesmo que esteja cansado.
= “… even if / even though I’m tired.”

Your sentence with mesmo quando estou cansado focuses on maintaining the routine in actual situations when you are tired, not just a hypothetical condition.

Could I say mesmo quando estiver cansado instead of mesmo quando estou cansado? What’s the difference?

Yes, you could say:

… mesmo quando estiver cansado.

The nuance is:

quando estou cansado (present indicative): describes a habitual / general situation — whenever this happens in general.
quando estiver cansado (future subjunctive): tends to refer to specific future occasions — when this happens in the future.

In everyday speech, especially for general habits, the present indicative (quando estou cansado) is very natural. The future subjunctive sounds a bit more “rule‑like” or formal, or more focused on future events.

Why is it estou cansado and not sou cansado?

Portuguese distinguishes between ser and estar, both translated as “to be” in English:

estar = temporary states, conditions, feelings
ser = more permanent traits, identities, basic characteristics

Being tired is a temporary state, so you use estar:

estou cansado = “I am (feeling) tired.”

sou cansado would mean something like “I am a tired person by nature,” which is unusual and would sound odd unless you mean it in a very figurative way.

Does cansado change depending on who is speaking? What if a woman says this sentence?

Yes. Cansado agrees in gender (and number) with the subject:

Male speaker, singular: estou cansado
Female speaker, singular: estou cansada
Group with at least one man: estamos cansados
Group of only women: estamos cansadas

So a woman would naturally say:

A minha prioridade agora é ter uma rotina estável, mesmo quando estou cansada.

What does agora modify here, and can I move it to another position in the sentence?

Agora means “now / at the moment” and here it modifies minha prioridade: it tells you what your priority is at this point in time.

Other possible positions:

Agora, a minha prioridade é ter uma rotina estável… (very natural)
A minha prioridade é, agora, ter uma rotina estável… (possible but sounds a bit more formal / written)

Putting it where it is:

A minha prioridade agora é ter uma rotina estável…

is very natural in speech and writing. All these versions keep the same basic meaning.

Why is there a comma before mesmo quando? Is it obligatory?

The clause mesmo quando estou cansado is an adverbial subordinate clause (a concessive time clause: “even when I’m tired”).

In European Portuguese:

It is very common and recommended to place a comma before such clauses, especially when they come after the main clause:
- … ter uma rotina estável, mesmo quando estou cansado.

In informal writing you sometimes see it without a comma, but the comma is considered correct and helps show the break: main idea first, then the contrasting condition.

How do you pronounce minha, rotina, and estável in European Portuguese?

Approximate European Portuguese pronunciation (not exact phonetics):

minha ≈ MEE-nyah
- nh is a single sound, like the ny in “onion” or “canyon.”
rotina ≈ roo-TEE-nuh
- initial r is a throaty / guttural sound in most European accents, a bit like French r.
estável ≈ esh-TAH-vel
- es- at the start of a word sounds like esh.
- The stressed syllable is TAH: es‑TÁ‑vel.

Said naturally, the whole sentence flows roughly as:
A mee-nyah pryorih-DA-deh ah-GO-ra eh ter u-ma roo-TEE-nuh esh-TAH-vel, MEZH-moo kwan-do esh-TOH kãn-SAH-do. (very approximate guide).