Breakdown of Há meses em que o trabalho varia consoante o volume.
haver
to be (there is / there are)
em
in / on / at
o trabalho
the work / the job
o mês
the month
que
who / which / that (relative)
variar
to vary
consoante
depending on
o volume
the volume
Questions & Answers about Há meses em que o trabalho varia consoante o volume.
Why does consoante have o right after it, and does it agree with the noun?
In this sentence, consoante acts as a preposition meaning 'depending on'. It is invariable, meaning it does not change form to match the gender or number of the noun. However, it is usually followed by a definite article, which is why you see o before the masculine noun volume.
Why does the sentence use em que instead of quando for 'when'?
When referring back to a specific noun representing time (like meses, dias, or anos), Portuguese typically uses em que (literally 'in which') to link the relative clause. While quando is used for questions or general time clauses, em que is the grammatically correct and natural choice when modifying a time noun.
If I wanted to add a verb after consoante, what tense would I use?
Because consoante expresses a condition or contingency, if you follow it with a verb clause instead of just a noun, you must use the future subjunctive. For example, if you wanted to say 'depending on what the volume is', it would be consoante o volume for.
Where does the stress fall when pronouncing varia?
varia comes from the verb variar. In the present tense singular forms, the stress falls on the i, making it sound like va-RI-a. This stress shift is common for many Portuguese verbs ending in -iar.
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