Breakdown of Se andas a poupar, queres estudar ecologia connosco?
estudar
to study
querer
to want
connosco
with us
se
if
Questions & Answers about Se andas a poupar, queres estudar ecologia connosco?
Why does the Portuguese sentence use andas a poupar instead of estás a poupar?
The phrase estar a plus an infinitive usually means you are doing something right at this exact moment. By using andar a plus an infinitive, it shows that the action of saving is a repeated or continuous habit over a recent period of time, which is why it translates well to "have been saving".
The English translation says "have been saving", which references the past. Why is andas in the present tense?
In English, we use the present perfect continuous ("have been doing") for an action that started in the past and continues into the present. Portuguese handles this recent, ongoing habit simply by using the present tense of andar combined with the preposition a and the infinitive verb.
Does the verb poupar only refer to saving money?
It refers to conserving or accumulating resources, so you can use it for money, time, water, or energy. However, you cannot use it for rescuing someone from danger (which is salvar) or saving a file on your computer (which is guardar).
Why is "with us" written as connosco instead of com nós?