Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Quando quero concentração profunda, ponho o telemóvel em modo silêncio. - When I want deep concentration, I put my phone on silent mode.

Quando quero = When I want (neutral, the most natural version)
Quando eu quero = When I want (with emphasis on I, as in “when I want, not when others want”)

You add eu mainly:

for contrast/emphasis:
- Quando eu quero, trabalho em silêncio, mas quando tu queres, ligas a música.
or when the subject might be ambiguous from context.

So in this neutral, general statement, Quando quero is exactly what a native speaker would say.

Why is it quero and not something like quiser after quando?

Both can exist after quando, but they mean different things.

In this sentence, quero is present indicative, used for habits and general truths:

Quando quero concentração profunda, ponho o telemóvel em modo silêncio.
= Whenever I want deep concentration, I put my phone on silent.
This describes a routine or habit.

Quiser is future subjunctive. It’s common after quando (and se) to talk about a specific future situation that may or may not happen:

Quando quiser concentração profunda, ponho o telemóvel em modo silêncio.
Sounds more like: When I (at some point) want deep concentration, I (will) put my phone on silent.
It feels more like a rule or instruction about the future, not a description of an existing habit.

So:

Quando quero… → describing what you usually do.
Quando quiser… → talking about a future moment or laying down a rule.

What verb is ponho, and why that form?

Ponho is the 1st person singular (eu) of the verb pôr in the present tense.

Infinitive: pôr = to put, to place, to set
Present tense (European Portuguese):
- eu ponho
- tu pões
- ele / ela põe
- nós pomos
- eles / elas põem

It’s irregular, so you can’t guess ponho directly from pôr.

Why pôr here?

pôr algo em modo X is a very standard pattern:
- pôr o telemóvel em modo avião
- pôr o computador em modo de descanso
- pôr o telemóvel em modo silêncio

You could also say:

Coloco o telemóvel em modo silêncio. (a bit more formal)
Meto o telemóvel em modo silêncio. (very colloquial/regional)

But ponho (from pôr) is the most common, neutral choice.

Why is it o telemóvel and not meu telemóvel like “my phone”?

Portuguese often uses the definite article (o, a, os, as) where English uses my/your/his… when the owner is obvious.

Ponho o telemóvel em modo silêncio.
Literally: I put *the phone on silent.
But in context, it clearly means *my phone.

You normally use o meu telemóvel when:

you want to contrast with someone else’s:
- Ponho o meu telemóvel em silêncio, mas o dele fica sempre a tocar.
the owner is unclear from context.

So here:

o telemóvel = normal, natural
o meu telemóvel = also correct, but adds a bit of extra emphasis on my (not someone else’s) phone.

What’s the difference between telemóvel and telefone? And what about Brazilian Portuguese?

In European Portuguese:

telemóvel
- everyday word for a mobile / cell phone
- very common in Portugal
- Este é o meu telemóvel. = This is my cell phone.
telefone
- literally telephone
- can refer to:
  - a landline
  - or a phone in general, depending on context
- Telefone de casa = landline
- Telefone do trabalho = work phone

In Brazilian Portuguese:

The usual word is celular (or telefone celular).
telemóvel is recognised as European Portuguese and sounds foreign/European to Brazilians.

So in Portugal:

Saying telemóvel is the natural way to say “phone” when you mean a mobile.

Why is it em modo silêncio and not em modo silencioso or just em silêncio?

All of these are possible, but they’re slightly different expressions:

em modo silêncio
- very close to the English in silent mode
- follows a pattern common in tech language:
  - modo avião
  - modo voo
  - modo economia de energia
- Here, silêncio works like a label or mode name, almost like a setting on the phone.
em modo silencioso
- more “textbook” grammar: modo (noun) + silencioso (adjective).
- Also natural:
  - Ponho o telemóvel em modo silencioso.
em silêncio
- a bit more general: I put the phone on silent (not necessarily referring to a menu option called “silent mode”).
- Ponho o telemóvel em silêncio.

So:

em modo silêncio: matches how many people refer to the phone’s specific mode/setting.
em modo silencioso: grammatically very clear, slightly less “UI-label-like”.
em silêncio: a more general way to say the phone is made silent.

Why is the preposition em used: em modo silêncio, and not no modo silêncio?

After pôr, em often has the meaning of into / to / in the state of:

pôr o telemóvel em modo silêncio
= literally put the phone in silent mode
(change its state to that mode)

Compare:

Põe o forno em 200 graus. = Set the oven to 200 degrees.
Põe o telefone em vibração. = Put the phone on vibrate.

When you say no modo silêncio (em + o modo):

You’re normally describing what happens in that mode, not the act of putting it there:
- No modo silêncio, o telemóvel não toca.
  = In silent mode, the phone doesn’t ring.

So:

pôr … em modo silêncio → changing to that mode.
no modo silêncio → talking about what things are like in that mode.

Why is it concentração profunda and not profunda concentração?

Most adjectives in Portuguese normally come after the noun:

concentração profunda (deep concentration)
água fria (cold water)
trabalho difícil (difficult work)

Putting the adjective before the noun is possible with many adjectives, but it usually adds a stylistic or emotional nuance:

profunda concentração
- sounds a bit more poetic / emphatic / literary
- focuses more strongly on the depth: a profound concentration

In normal, neutral speech:

concentração profunda is the default, most natural order.
profunda concentração might appear in more literary contexts or when you want a more dramatic effect.

Could I say Quando quero concentrar-me profundamente instead of Quando quero concentração profunda?

Yes, that’s possible and correct, but the focus shifts slightly.

Original:

Quando quero concentração profunda, ponho o telemóvel em modo silêncio.
- Uses a noun (concentração) + adjective (profunda).
- Emphasises the state or condition of deep concentration as something you want to have.

Alternative:

Quando quero concentrar-me profundamente, ponho o telemóvel em modo silêncio.
- Uses a verb (concentrar) + reflexive pronoun (-me) + adverb (profundamente).
- Emphasises the action: when I want to concentrate deeply.

Both are natural. The choice is largely stylistic:

quero concentração profunda → I want deep concentration (as a state).
quero concentrar-me profundamente → I want to concentrate deeply (as an action).

Note on word order with the reflexive:

In European Portuguese, with querer + infinitive, you can say:
- quero concentrar-me profundamente (more formal / written)
- quero-me concentrar profundamente (very common in speech)

Is the comma after Quando quero concentração profunda necessary? Could the clauses change order?

You can write the sentence in two main ways:

Subordinate clause first (as given):
- Quando quero concentração profunda, ponho o telemóvel em modo silêncio.
- In Portuguese, when a dependent clause (introduced by quando, se, porque, etc.) comes before the main clause, it is normally followed by a comma.
- So the comma here is recommended and considered standard.
Main clause first:
- Ponho o telemóvel em modo silêncio quando quero concentração profunda.
- When the subordinate clause comes second, the comma is usually omitted, especially when the clause is short and the meaning is clear.
- If you add a comma here, it sounds like an extra pause and is often unnecessary.

Both orders are correct:

Starting with Quando… puts more emphasis on the condition (When I want deep concentration…).
Starting with Ponho… puts more emphasis on the action (I put my phone on silent when…).