Breakdown of Admitindo que eles cheguem antecipadamente, nós temos tempo para comer.
nós
we
eles
they (m)
ter
to have
comer
to eat
para
to / for
o tempo
the time
chegar
to arrive
admitindo que
assuming that
antecipadamente
in advance
Questions & Answers about Admitindo que eles cheguem antecipadamente, nós temos tempo para comer.
Why do we use the present subjunctive cheguem here instead of the future subjunctive?
Conjunctions that set up a hypothetical scenario, like admitindo que (assuming that), supondo que (supposing that), and imaginando que (imagining that), typically trigger the present subjunctive. They frame the condition as a theoretical concept being considered right now, even if the action itself takes place in the future.
Could I just say cedo instead of antecipadamente?
You could, but the meaning shifts slightly. Cedo simply means "early" (like early in the day). Antecipadamente translates more closely to "in advance" or "ahead of schedule", emphasizing that they are arriving before the specific time they were expected. Another common way to express this is com antecedência.
Since the arrival is in the future, why does the second part say nós temos (present tense) instead of the future tense nós teremos?
In everyday Portuguese, it is extremely common to use the present indicative to talk about future actions, especially when expressing a logical, certain consequence of a condition. Saying nós temos tempo sounds more natural and immediate than nós teremos tempo, though both are grammatically correct.
Do I need to include the pronoun nós before temos in this sentence?
No, it is completely optional. Because the verb conjugation temos already makes it perfectly clear that the subject is "we", you can comfortably drop the pronoun and just say , temos tempo para comer. Including nós just adds a subtle bit of emphasis.
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