Breakdown of Quem quer que seja o agente, ele não se pode infiltrar na base.
ser
to be
não
not / no
ele
he
em
in / on / at
poder
can / may (verb)
o agente
the agent
a base
the base
quem quer que
whoever
infiltrar-se
to infiltrate
Questions & Answers about Quem quer que seja o agente, ele não se pode infiltrar na base.
Why do we use the subjunctive verb seja after quem quer que?
The phrase quem quer que translates to 'whoever' and introduces an unknown or indefinite identity. In Portuguese, phrases ending in -quer que (like onde quer que or o que quer que) always trigger the subjunctive because they deal with hypothetical or unconfirmed information. We use the present subjunctive seja here because the statement applies to the present.
Why is the reflexive pronoun se placed before pode instead of attached to the infinitive infiltrar?
The verb is infiltrar-se (to infiltrate). Because the sentence is negative, the word não acts as a magnet, pulling the pronoun before the conjugated verb pode. While ele não pode infiltrar-se is grammatically acceptable, ele não se pode infiltrar is the much more natural and preferred word order in European Portuguese.
Could I use qualquer que seja instead of quem quer que seja in this sentence?
Yes, they are very similar but have a slight nuance. Quem quer que specifically means 'whoever' and is used exclusively for people. Qualquer que means 'whichever' or 'no matter which' and can be used for people or things. Both work well here, but quem quer que heavily emphasizes the human behind the agent role.
Why is the pronoun ele used in the second half when we already know we are talking about the agent?
While Portuguese frequently drops subject pronouns, using ele here provides a smoother transition after the comma. It acts as a structural anchor for the main clause, reminding us exactly who is being restricted. It is a stylistic choice that makes complex, multi-clause sentences flow much better.
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