Questions & Answers about Se tu chutasses assim, seria falta.
Why is the verb chutar conjugated as chutasses here?
Because it follows Se (if) in a hypothetical or unlikely scenario, which requires the imperfect subjunctive tense. To form it for tu (you), take the third-person plural of the simple past tense (chutaram), drop the -ram, and add -sses, giving us chutasses.
Could I use the imperfect past tense instead of the conditional seria?
Yes! In spoken Portuguese, it is very common to replace the conditional with the imperfect indicative. So, you will often hear Se tu chutasses assim, era falta. Both mean exactly the same thing and fit perfectly into this second conditional structure.
I previously learned that falta means a lack or absence. Why does it mean foul here?
In the context of sports, such as football, falta translates to a foul. You can think of it as a fault or a failure to follow the rules of the game.
Why isn't there an article before falta? Shouldn't it be seria uma falta?
In European Portuguese, when talking about committing a foul in sports, the indefinite article (uma) is typically dropped. Native speakers just say it is foul (é falta) or would be foul (seria falta).