Breakdown of Corro desesperadamente pela rua, se bem que não passe nenhum autocarro.
não
not / no
a rua
the street
o autocarro
the bus
passar
to pass
por
through / by / for / because of
correr
to run
nenhum
no / none / not any (quantity)
se bem que
even though
desesperadamente
desperately
Questions & Answers about Corro desesperadamente pela rua, se bem que não passe nenhum autocarro.
Since this sentence is from a past narrative, why does it use the present tense corro?
This is the Historical Present (presente histórico). Even though the action happened in the past, switching to the present tense makes the story feel more immediate and vivid to the listener, as if it is unfolding right now. It is a very common technique in spoken Portuguese anecdotes.
Why is the verb passe in the subjunctive instead of the indicative passa?
The phrase se bem que (even though / although) always triggers the subjunctive mood because it introduces a concession or a barrier to the main action. You will see the same rule apply to similar expressions like embora and ainda que.
Since this is telling a past story, shouldn't passe be in the imperfect subjunctive?
Normally, yes. But because the storyteller shifted the main verb to the present tense (corro) using the Historical Present, the subordinate verb must match that new timeline. Therefore, the present subjunctive (passe) is used instead of the imperfect subjunctive (passasse).
Why does the sentence use both não and nenhum? Isn't that a double negative?
Yes, and Portuguese grammar requires it here. When a negative word like nenhum (none/no) comes after the verb, you must place a negative marker like não before the verb. If nenhum came before the verb, you would drop the não.
Why use pela rua instead of na rua?
Pela is a contraction of the preposition por and the article a. While na rua just means you are physically located in the street, using por indicates movement along or through a space. So corro pela rua specifically focuses on the action of running down or through the street.
Learn Corro desesperadamente pela rua, se bem que não passe nenhum autocarro 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