Breakdown of Se o imigrante for trabalhador, recebe a cidadania.
ser
to be
trabalhador
hardworking
receber
to receive
se
if
o imigrante
the immigrant
a cidadania
the citizenship
Questions & Answers about Se o imigrante for trabalhador, recebe a cidadania.
Why do we use for instead of é in this sentence?
For is the Future Subjunctive form of the verb ser (to be). We use the Future Subjunctive after the word se (if) when setting up a condition or a hypothetical situation that might happen in the future.
Isn't for also a form of the verb ir (to go)? How can I tell them apart?
Yes, the verbs ser (to be) and ir (to go) share the exact same forms in the Future Subjunctive! You have to tell them apart by context. Here, it's followed by a descriptive role (trabalhador), so it has to be ser. If it were ir, you would expect a destination or an action, like se o imigrante for a Portugal (if the immigrant goes to Portugal).
Why is there no um before trabalhador?
In Portuguese, you generally drop the indefinite article (um or uma) after the verb ser when stating someone's profession, category, or nationality. Just like you would say ele é médico (he is a doctor), here we say se... for trabalhador (if... [he] is a worker).
If the first half of the sentence is about the future, why is the second verb in the present tense (recebe)?
When making "if/then" statements, Portuguese often pairs the Future Subjunctive in the "if" clause with the Present Indicative in the main clause. Using the present tense (recebe) instead of the future tense (receberá) makes the outcome sound like a guaranteed fact, a legal right, or an established rule.
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