Breakdown of Eu tenho insónia, daí que durma mal.
eu
I
ter
to have
dormir
to sleep
mal
badly
a insónia
the insomnia
daí que
hence
Questions & Answers about Eu tenho insónia, daí que durma mal.
Why do we use the subjunctive durma instead of the indicative durmo in the second half of the sentence?
The phrase daí que (meaning 'hence' or 'that is why') is a consecutive conjunction that always triggers the subjunctive mood. It links an established cause (tenho insónia) to its consequence.
Could I use por isso to mean the same thing?
Why is the verb spelled durma with a 'u' rather than dorma?
The present subjunctive of dormir is formed from its first-person singular present indicative form, which is eu durmo. You drop the 'o' and add the regular subjunctive endings, giving you durma.
I often hear Portuguese people say they have insónias (plural). Is insónia (singular) also correct?
Yes, both are correct. While tenho insónia is perfectly fine and refers to the medical condition as a whole, it is extremely common in Portugal to use the plural tenho insónias when talking about experiencing sleepless nights.
Because durma can also mean 'he sleeps' or 'she sleeps', should I include eu again in the second clause to avoid confusion?
You do not need to. Because you established yourself as the subject in the first clause (Eu tenho), the listener naturally assumes you are still the subject of the second clause. Adding eu before durma would sound unnaturally repetitive here.
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