Questions & Answers about Se não estudares, chumbas.
Why does the verb estudar have an -es ending here instead of just being estudas?
Because it follows se (if) to talk about a possible event in the future. This requires a special verb form called the future subjunctive. For regular verbs, it looks exactly like the infinitive plus a personal ending. Here, we add -es to estudar because the implied subject is tu (informal you).
The English translation says 'you'll fail'. Why is chumbas in the present tense?
In Portuguese, it is extremely common to use the present tense for the result part of an 'if' sentence, even when talking about the future. It makes the consequence feel more certain and immediate. You could also say vais chumbar, but chumbas is very natural.
Is chumbar the standard word for failing?
Yes, in European Portuguese, chumbar is the everyday, standard word for failing an exam, a driving test, or a school year. A slightly more formal alternative you might also see is reprovar.
How would I change this sentence if I were speaking to someone formally using você?
You would drop the -s from the end of both verbs. The sentence would become: Se não estudar, chumba. For você, the future subjunctive form in this case looks identical to the infinitive (estudar), and the present tense is chumba.
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