Breakdown of Quando fores experiente e que vás a outra estância, vais esquiar melhor.
ser
to be
e
and
a
to / at (direction)
quando
when
ir
to go
esquiar
to ski
outro
other
que
that (conjunction)
melhor
better / best
a estância
the resort (e.g., ski, spa)
experiente
experienced
Questions & Answers about Quando fores experiente e que vás a outra estância, vais esquiar melhor.
Why is there a que in e que vás instead of repeating quando?
This is the "vicarious que" (o que vicário). In Portuguese, instead of repeating a subordinating conjunction like quando (when) in a coordinated sentence, we replace the second one with que. It acts as a placeholder so we don't have to clumsily say Quando fores experiente e quando fores a outra estância....
Why is the second verb (vás) in the present subjunctive, while the first (fores) is in the future subjunctive?
This is a strict and somewhat surprising rule for the vicarious que. When que replaces a conjunction that normally triggers the future subjunctive (like quando or se), the verb following that que must shift into the present subjunctive. That is why the initial quando takes the future subjunctive (fores), but the replacement que takes the present subjunctive (vás).
If I chose not to use the vicarious que and just repeated quando, would the second verb still be vás?
No. If you repeat the conjunction, the verb tense must match the normal rule for that conjunction. So, if you repeated quando, you would need the future subjunctive again: Quando fores experiente e quando fores a outra estância....
As a quick refresher, why do we use the future subjunctive (fores) after the first quando?
What exactly does estância mean in this context?
In the context of winter sports, an estância (short for estância de esqui) means a ski resort. The word is generally used for resorts or retreats, such as a spa (estância termal) or a summer beach town (estância balnear).
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