Breakdown of Se a franja crescer demasiado, eu volto à cabeleireira na próxima semana.
Questions & Answers about Se a franja crescer demasiado, eu volto à cabeleireira na próxima semana.
Because after se when you are talking about a possible future situation, Portuguese normally uses the future subjunctive.
- Se a franja crescer... = If my fringe/bangs grows...
- This is about something that may happen later.
Compare:
- Se a franja crescer, eu volto... = if it grows...
- Se a franja cresce muito depressa, fico chateado. = if/when it grows very fast (more like a repeated or general fact, though this is less natural in many contexts)
For learners, a very useful rule is:
- se + future possibility → often future subjunctive
- crescer is both the infinitive and the future subjunctive form here, so it looks unchanged
Other examples:
- Se eu tiver tempo, vou.
- Se ela chegar cedo, jantamos juntos.
In this sentence, franja means fringe in British English or bangs in American English.
So:
- a franja = the front part of the hair cut across the forehead
This is a very common word in European Portuguese.
Here demasiado means too much or too long / too far, depending on context.
So:
- Se a franja crescer demasiado... = If my fringe/bangs grows too much
It is acting as an adverb modifying crescer.
In European Portuguese, demasiado is very natural in this kind of sentence. It can often translate too, too much, or excessively.
Compare:
- A franja cresceu demasiado. = The fringe grew too much.
- É demasiado caro. = It’s too expensive.
Yes, voltar literally means to return, but very often it is used like to go back.
So:
- eu volto à cabeleireira = I go back to the hairdresser / hair salon
It suggests that the speaker has already been there before and will return.
Common uses:
- Vou voltar amanhã. = I’ll come/go back tomorrow.
- Voltei ao médico. = I went back to the doctor.
Because voltar a needs the preposition a, and cabeleireira here has the article a.
So:
- a (preposition) + a (article) = à
That is why you get:
- volto à cabeleireira
This contraction is very common in Portuguese:
- Vou à escola. = I’m going to school.
- Voltei à praia. = I went back to the beach.
It can mean either, depending on context.
In everyday Portuguese, especially in Portugal, ir à cabeleireira often means to go to the hairdresser’s / hair salon. Even though the word is literally feminine singular, it can refer to:
- the female hairdresser
- the salon associated with her
- the appointment/service in a general sense
So this sentence is most naturally understood as:
- I’ll go back to the hairdresser’s next week
If the speaker were going to a male hairdresser, you might see:
- ao cabeleireiro
But in real life, people often use these expressions in a practical, idiomatic way.
Yes. Portuguese often drops subject pronouns when the verb form already shows who the subject is.
So these both work:
- Se a franja crescer demasiado, eu volto à cabeleireira na próxima semana.
- Se a franja crescer demasiado, volto à cabeleireira na próxima semana.
The version with eu adds a bit of emphasis or clarity. It is not wrong at all; it is just more explicit.
Because the sentence begins with a subordinate if-clause:
- Se a franja crescer demasiado, ...
In Portuguese, when this kind of clause comes first, it is normally separated from the main clause with a comma.
Structure:
- Se a franja crescer demasiado = subordinate clause
- eu volto à cabeleireira na próxima semana = main clause
This is similar to English:
- If my bangs grow too much, I’ll go back next week.
Because Portuguese normally uses an article here.
- na = em + a
- na próxima semana = next week
European Portuguese often uses the definite article in time expressions like this.
Examples:
- na próxima semana = next week
- no próximo mês = next month
- na semana passada = last week
In English, you usually do not use the in this kind of expression, but Portuguese does.
Yes, demasiado is more natural if you mean too much rather than simply a lot.
Compare:
- crescer muito = to grow a lot
- crescer demasiado = to grow too much
So the sentence is not just saying the fringe gets longer; it says it gets longer than desired.
That is why demasiado fits well.
In Portugal Portuguese, demasiado is the safer and more standard choice here.
- demais is much more strongly associated with Brazilian Portuguese in this meaning
- In European Portuguese, demasiado sounds more natural in neutral standard speech
So for Portugal Portuguese, stick with:
- Se a franja crescer demasiado...
Yes. Portuguese uses crescer very naturally for hair, nails, plants, children, and many other things.
So:
- A franja cresceu. = My fringe/bangs grew.
- O cabelo cresce depressa. = Hair grows quickly.
This is fully normal and direct.
Yes. You could say:
- Se a franja crescer demasiado, voltarei à cabeleireira na próxima semana.
This is grammatically correct, but eu volto with present tense is often more natural in everyday Portuguese when referring to a future action, especially in speech.
So both are possible:
- eu volto = common, conversational future meaning
- voltarei = more explicit future, sometimes a bit more formal or marked
Both are possible.
Original order:
- Se a franja crescer demasiado, eu volto à cabeleireira na próxima semana.
This puts the condition first, which is very common.
You could also say:
- Eu volto à cabeleireira na próxima semana se a franja crescer demasiado.
That version is also correct. The difference is mostly about emphasis and flow:
- Se... , eu volto... = starts with the condition
- Eu volto... se... = starts with the main action
Yes, it fits European Portuguese well.
A few clues:
- franja for fringe/bangs is perfectly normal in Portugal
- demasiado is very natural in European Portuguese
- à cabeleireira is a very natural Portugal-style everyday expression
A Brazilian Portuguese speaker would understand it, but they might choose slightly different wording in some contexts.