Breakdown of Imaginando que o passaporte caduque, eles não podem viajar, embora tenham os bilhetes.
não
not / no
eles
they (m)
ter
to have
o passaporte
the passport
viajar
to travel
o bilhete
the ticket
poder
can / may (verb)
embora
even though
imaginando que
imagining that
caducar
to expire
Questions & Answers about Imaginando que o passaporte caduque, eles não podem viajar, embora tenham os bilhetes.
Why does imaginando que trigger the subjunctive verb caduque here?
Phrases like imaginando que, supondo que, and admitindo que set up a hypothetical scenario. Because the action isn't a confirmed reality, Portuguese requires the subjunctive mood to reflect that uncertainty. Here, we use caduque, the present subjunctive of caducar (to expire).
Since the passport expiring is a future possibility, why don't we use the future subjunctive here?
Hypothetical framing expressions like imaginando que and supondo que take the present subjunctive to express a theoretical present or future possibility. The future subjunctive is primarily reserved for specific triggers like se (if), quando (when), or logo que (as soon as) when referring to uncompleted future actions.
Is caducar the standard verb for things expiring?
Yes, caducar is the standard verb for official documents like passports, visas, or contracts lapsing or losing their legal validity. You might also see the verb expirar, but caducar is highly common and natural in this context.
Why is the final verb, tenham, also in the subjunctive even though them having tickets is a fact?
The conjunction embora (although or even though) is a strict trigger for the subjunctive. Even when stating an undeniable fact, embora always forces the following verb into the subjunctive. Therefore, the indicative têm becomes the present subjunctive tenham.
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