Questions & Answers about Se te portares bem, vais receber a mesada.
Why do we use portares instead of the present tense portas here?
Why is the reflexive pronoun te placed before the verb (te portares) instead of after it?
The word Se acts as a "magnet" word. In European Portuguese, certain conjunctions, negative words, and question words automatically pull pronouns like te to the front of the verb.
Doesn't portar mean "to carry"? Why does it mean "behave" here?
It does mean "to carry" when used normally. However, when used as a reflexive verb (portar-se, literally "to carry oneself"), it changes meaning to "to behave."
Can I use the simple future tense receberás instead of vais receber?
Yes! In the result part of these "if" sentences, you can use either the simple future (receberás) or the informal future (ir + infinitive, like vais receber). The informal future is just much more common in everyday conversation.