Breakdown of Tento memorizar o vocabulário, ainda que não tenha tempo.
não
not / no
ter
to have
o tempo
the time
tentar
to try
ainda que
even if / even though
memorizar
to memorize
o vocabulário
the vocabulary
Questions & Answers about Tento memorizar o vocabulário, ainda que não tenha tempo.
Why do we use tenha instead of tenho?
Tenha is the present subjunctive form of ter (to have). You must use the subjunctive mood after the phrase ainda que because it introduces an obstacle or condition (even if) that doesn't prevent the main action from happening.
Can ainda que translate to both 'even if' and 'even though'?
Yes. In Portuguese, ainda que covers both meanings. In this sentence, 'even if' sounds best because not having time is framed as a potential or recurring obstacle, but if it were an established fact that you currently have zero time, you could translate it as 'even though I do not have time.'
Why is there no preposition like a or de between Tento and memorizar?
Many Portuguese verbs require a specific preposition before an infinitive verb, but tentar (to try) connects directly to the next verb. You just use the conjugated form of tentar followed immediately by the infinitive, like tento memorizar.
How do we know who does not have time if the word eu (I) isn't in the sentence?
The verb endings already show who the subject is. Tento is the first-person singular present tense of tentar, and tenha matches it as the first-person present subjunctive of ter. Portuguese speakers usually drop the pronoun eu because the verbs make the subject obvious.
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