Breakdown of Por muito que remes, o equilíbrio é essencial.
ser
to be
essencial
essential
por muito que
no matter how much
o equilíbrio
the balance
remar
to paddle
Questions & Answers about Por muito que remes, o equilíbrio é essencial.
Why do we use the subjunctive remes instead of the normal present tense remas?
The phrase por muito que (no matter how much) introduces a concessive clause. In Portuguese, expressions like this always trigger the subjunctive mood because they describe a theoretical or non-specific action (paddling an unknown amount) rather than a declared fact.
Could I use por mais que instead of por muito que in this sentence?
Remes is the "tu" (you) form, but it ends in an "e" instead of an "a". Why is that?
This is the telltale sign of the present subjunctive. For regular -ar verbs like remar (to paddle/row), the characteristic vowel swaps from "a" to "e" in the subjunctive. So the normal present tense is tu remas, but the subjunctive is tu remes.
Why does the sentence use the article o before equilíbrio when the English translation just says "balance"?
In Portuguese, abstract nouns and general concepts (like balance, health, or love) almost always require a definite article (o or a) when they act as the subject of a sentence. English drops the article for general concepts, but Portuguese keeps it.
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