Breakdown of Temos de resistir ao pânico, quer seja dia, quer seja noite.
ser
to be
a
to / at (direction)
a noite
the night
ter de
to have to
o
him/it (m)
o dia
the day
quer
whether
resistir
to resist
o pânico
the panic
Questions & Answers about Temos de resistir ao pânico, quer seja dia, quer seja noite.
How exactly does the quer... quer... structure work here, and why does it use the subjunctive seja?
The phrase quer... quer... translates to "whether... or..." and introduces alternative concessive clauses. This means it presents two different scenarios where the main outcome (resisting panic) remains exactly the same. This structure always triggers the subjunctive because it sets up hypothetical alternatives rather than stating a single concrete fact. Here, seja is the present subjunctive of the verb ser.
Why do we use ser (seja) rather than estar for day and night?
I would have expected resistir o pânico. Why is it resistir ao pânico?
Unlike the English verb "resist", which takes a direct object, the Portuguese verb resistir requires the preposition a (meaning you "resist to" something). Because pânico is a masculine noun, the preposition a must contract with the definite article o to form ao.
Is there a difference between using temos de and temos que at the beginning of this sentence?
Both express obligation ("we have to" or "we must"). However, ter de is the traditionally correct form to express duty or obligation and is strongly preferred in formal writing. You will hear ter que used very frequently in everyday Portuguese speech to mean the same thing, but sticking to ter de is safer for your B2 writing.
Learn Temos de resistir ao pânico, quer seja dia, quer seja noite and more in Portuguese
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free