Breakdown of Não que a demissão fosse uma surpresa, pois não?
ser
to be
não
not / no
um
a / an / some (all forms)
que
that (conjunction)
Questions & Answers about Não que a demissão fosse uma surpresa, pois não?
Why does Não que trigger the subjunctive fosse in this sentence?
The phrase Não que is used to reject a potential assumption or cause before the listener even thinks of it. Because you are addressing a hypothetical idea rather than stating a factual cause, Portuguese requires the subjunctive mood.
How do we know to use the imperfect subjunctive (fosse) here instead of the present subjunctive (seja)?
The choice depends on the timeframe you are talking about. Because the speaker is referring to a past event (the resignation was not a surprise), we use the imperfect subjunctive fosse. If they were talking about a current situation (meaning it is not a surprise), they would use the present subjunctive seja.
Why does the sentence end with pois não? instead of the usual não é?
In European Portuguese, when you add a tag question to a negative statement, you use pois não? to ask for confirmation. Since the sentence starts with the negative Não que, pois não? is the natural way to say "was it?" or "right?". If the main sentence were positive, you would use não é? instead.
Does demissão refer to resigning or being fired?
It can actually be both! Demissão broadly means the termination of an employment contract. It most commonly translates to a resignation (when the employee initiates it), but it can also mean a dismissal or firing (when the employer initiates it). You rely on the wider context to know exactly what happened.