Breakdown of Como não tens o software, estou a configurar o dispositivo para ti.
não
not / no
ter
to have
estar
to be (temporary / location)
para
to / for
o
him/it (m)
ti
you (singular, after prepositions)
como
since / as (causal)
o software
the software
configurar
to configure
o dispositivo
the device
Questions & Answers about Como não tens o software, estou a configurar o dispositivo para ti.
Why does como mean 'since' in this sentence rather than 'how'?
When como is used at the very beginning of a sentence to explain the cause of something, it means 'since' or 'because'. If this reason came in the second half of the sentence, you would normally use porque instead.
Why do we use para ti at the end instead of para tu?
You must use special prepositional pronouns whenever a pronoun comes immediately after a preposition like para. For the informal 'you', that pronoun is ti. The word tu is only used when 'you' is the main subject doing the action.
What is the purpose of the preposition a in estou a configurar?
In European Portuguese, ongoing actions are formed by combining the verb estar with the preposition a and an infinitive verb like configurar. This creates the present continuous tense, meaning 'I am configuring' right now.
Is it normal to use the English word software in Portuguese?
Yes, European Portuguese frequently adopts English terminology for technology. Borrowed words are usually assigned a gender, and software is treated as a masculine noun, which is why it pairs with the masculine article o.
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