Breakdown of Por muito que tentes, o surf exige muito esforço.
muito
much / very
tentar
to try
o esforço
the effort
exigir
to demand
o surf
the surfing
por muito que
no matter how much
Questions & Answers about Por muito que tentes, o surf exige muito esforço.
Why is the verb tentar in the subjunctive form (tentes) here?
Phrases like por muito que (no matter how much) and por mais que (as much as) express a concession—an obstacle that doesn't actually stop the main action. In Portuguese, these specific expressions always trigger the subjunctive mood. Here, tentes is the present subjunctive for tu (you).
Could I use por mais que instead of por muito que in this sentence?
Why does the sentence say o surf instead of just surf?
In Portuguese, when you are talking about a sport, concept, or general category as the subject of a sentence, you almost always need a definite article (o or a). English drops the article for general things like 'surfing,' so this is a common trap for learners.
The word muito appears twice. Are they functioning the same way?
Not quite! In the first half, muito is part of the phrase por muito que, which acts as an adverb modifying how much you try. Adverbs don't change their endings. In the second half, muito is an adjective describing the masculine singular noun esforço (effort). If the noun were feminine, like dedicação (dedication), it would have to change to match: muita dedicação.
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