Breakdown of Admitindo que o voo esteja atrasado, nós pedimos a compensação.
nós
we
estar
to be (temporary / location)
o voo
the flight
atrasado
late
pedir
to ask for
admitindo que
assuming that
a compensação
the compensation (balancing, offset)
Questions & Answers about Admitindo que o voo esteja atrasado, nós pedimos a compensação.
Why do we use the subjunctive esteja after admitindo que?
The phrase admitindo que (assuming that) sets up a hypothetical scenario. In Portuguese, conjunctions that frame a situation as a possibility or hypothesis rather than an established fact require the subjunctive mood. Here, we do not know for sure if the flight is delayed, so we use the present subjunctive esteja.
Could I use se (if) instead of admitindo que to express the same idea?
Yes, but the grammar would change. If you use se, you must use the future subjunctive for a future possibility, resulting in: Se o voo estiver atrasado... (If the flight is late...). Phrases like admitindo que, supondo que, and imaginando que take the present subjunctive instead, giving you an excellent alternative to express conditions.
Why is it esteja atrasado (estar) rather than seja atrasado (ser)?
Why is pedimos in the present tense if asking for compensation is something we will do in the future?
In Portuguese, the present tense is frequently used to talk about immediate future actions or firm intentions. While you could say nós pediremos (we will ask) or nós vamos pedir (we are going to ask), using the present tense pedimos is perfectly natural and makes the resulting action sound immediate and certain if the condition is met.
Learn Admitindo que o voo esteja atrasado, nós pedimos a compensação 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