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Quando a criança faz birra, não obedece.

Quando a criança faz birra, não obedece.
When the child throws a tantrum, she does not obey.
From Lesson 214:First conditional clauses (se)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about Quando a criança faz birra, não obedece.

Since this lesson is about the Future Subjunctive, why do we use the Present Indicative (faz) after Quando here?
Great question! Quando only takes the Future Subjunctive when you are talking about a specific future event. In this sentence, it describes a general fact or recurring habit ('Whenever the child throws a tantrum'). For general facts or habits, we just use the normal Present Indicative.
Why is the verb faz (makes/does) used for throwing a tantrum?
In English, we 'throw' a tantrum, but in Portuguese, the set phrase is fazer birra (literally 'to make a tantrum'). It is one of many expressions where Portuguese uses fazer instead of the verb we would naturally use in English.
The English translation says 'she does not obey'. Is a criança always feminine?
Yes, the noun a criança is always grammatically feminine in Portuguese, regardless of whether the actual child is a boy or a girl. Any adjectives describing the child must also be feminine. In English, you can translate the implied pronoun as 'he', 'she', or 'they' depending on the child you are talking about.
Why is there no subject pronoun like ela before não obedece?
In Portuguese, you do not need to repeat the subject if it is already clear from the context. Since a criança is the subject of the first part of the sentence, it is naturally understood to be the subject of não obedece as well.

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