Breakdown of Quando fores responsável, vais evitar o erro.
ser
to be
quando
when
ir
to go
o erro
the mistake
evitar
to avoid
responsável
responsible
Questions & Answers about Quando fores responsável, vais evitar o erro.
How does the suffix -vel work to form the word responsável?
The suffix -vel is similar to the English "-able" or "-ible". It attaches to a verb root to describe someone or something that can do or undergo that action. Here, it relates to responder (to respond or answer), creating responsável (responsible). Just remember that in the plural, -vel changes to -veis, making responsáveis.
Does responsável change if I am speaking to a man versus a woman?
No. Adjectives ending in -vel, like responsável, are uniform. This means they use the exact same spelling for both masculine and feminine subjects. You only need to worry about changing them for singular and plural forms.
Why do we use fores instead of the normal present tense és?
Because the sentence is talking about a condition in the future that hasn't happened yet. In Portuguese, the word quando (when) triggers the future subjunctive tense when referring to future events. Fores is the informal tu (you) form of the verb ser in this tense. If it were a general everyday fact, you would just use the present tense és.
Why does the sentence use vais evitar instead of the future tense evitarás?
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