Breakdown of Ainda que não sejas desastrado, a travessa pesada pode partir-se-te.
ser
to be
não
not / no
poder
can / may (verb)
pesado
heavy
te
you (informal object)
se
himself / herself / themselves
partir
to break
ainda que
even if / even though
desastrado
clumsy
a travessa
the platter
Questions & Answers about Ainda que não sejas desastrado, a travessa pesada pode partir-se-te.
How does the structure partir-se-te actually work here?
This is an accidental reflexive structure, sometimes called the 'dative of accident'. First, we take partir-se, which means the platter breaks spontaneously or by accident (literally 'breaks itself'). Then, we add the indirect object pronoun -te to indicate who is affected by this accident. Together, it means the platter accidentally breaks 'on you', making it clear that you didn't break it on purpose!
Why are the pronouns attached in that specific order (-se-te)?
When stacking pronouns in European Portuguese, the reflexive pronoun (se) almost always comes before the indirect object pronoun (te). Because partir is an infinitive following the auxiliary verb pode, it is perfectly natural to attach this combined pronoun chain directly to the end of the infinitive using hyphens.
Why is the verb sejas in the subjunctive mood instead of the indicative és?
The conjunction Ainda que (even if / even though) is a trigger phrase that always requires the subjunctive mood. It sets up a concessive clause, meaning it introduces a condition ('you aren't clumsy') that doesn't actually prevent the main action ('the platter can break') from happening.
Can I use Mesmo que instead of Ainda que in this sentence?
Yes, absolutely. Mesmo que is very common in everyday spoken Portuguese and means the exact same thing here. Just like Ainda que, it also forces the following verb into the subjunctive mood, so you would still say Mesmo que não sejas.
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