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O capitão prefere que tu apertes o cinto na cabine.

O capitão prefere que tu apertes o cinto na cabine.
The captain prefers that you fasten the seatbelt in the cabin.
From Lesson 154:Desires and preferences (querer que...)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about O capitão prefere que tu apertes o cinto na cabine.

Why do we use apertes instead of apertas in this sentence?
The phrase prefere que (prefers that) expresses a preference. In Portuguese, when one person (the captain) prefers that someone else (you) does something, the second verb must be in the present subjunctive. That is why the normal present tense apertas changes to the subjunctive apertes.
How do we get the ending for apertes?
The verb is apertar (to fasten or tighten). To form the present subjunctive, regular -ar verbs swap their usual a vowel for an e. Because the subject is tu (you), we add the expected -s ending, making it apertes.
Is it necessary to include the pronoun tu after que?
No, you can easily leave it out and just say que apertes. The -es ending already tells us exactly who is doing the action. It is only included here to make the sentence extra clear.
Does cinto always mean 'seatbelt'?
cinto by itself just means 'belt'. The full phrase for 'seatbelt' is cinto de segurança (safety belt). However, in clear contexts like being inside a vehicle or cabin, Portuguese speakers usually just shorten it to cinto.

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