Breakdown of É possível que o gerente não queira a proposta.
ser
to be
não
not / no
querer
to want
que
that (conjunction)
o gerente
the manager
possível
possible
a proposta
the proposal
Questions & Answers about É possível que o gerente não queira a proposta.
Why do we use queira instead of the normal present tense quer?
The phrase É possível que (It is possible that) sets up a situation of uncertainty or possibility. In Portuguese, impersonal expressions like this are classic "triggers" that force the following verb into the subjunctive mood, so the normal present tense quer becomes the subjunctive queira.
How do we get the form queira from the verb querer?
Querer (to want) is completely irregular in the present subjunctive. While most verbs base their subjunctive spelling on their normal eu form, querer uses a special stem: queir-. Since o gerente is a "he" (third-person singular), we add the ending -a to get queira.
Why does não come right before queira rather than after it?
In Portuguese, negative words like não almost always go directly before the verb they are modifying. Even when using the subjunctive in a dependent clause with que, the não stays glued to the front of the verb.
I noticed gerente ends in an 'e'. How do I know if the manager is masculine or feminine?
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