Portuguese · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 5 of 12
Society and the environment
Sociedade e meio ambiente
Discuss problems and solutions in Portuguese: se eu tivesse sabido, teria feito, all types of se sentences, and ways to express concern.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Talk about what would have happened: se tivesse chovido, não teria se espalhado
- Use all types of se sentences, including mixed ones
- Express concern with me preocupa que and tenho medo de que
- Discuss an environmental problem and what can be done
Listen
Luana, who lives in São Paulo, visits her uncle Benedito, a fishing guide in the Pantanal near Corumbá, after last year's fires. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Luana
Tio, eu achava que só a floresta amazônica pegava fogo assim. Não imaginava que ainda desse para ver tanta marca do incêndio aqui.
Uncle, I thought only the Amazon rainforest burned like this. I didn't imagine you could still see so many marks of the fire here.
Benedito
É, minha filha. O fogo chegou até a beira do rio. Foi a pior seca que eu já vi na vida.
Yes, my dear. The fire reached the riverbank. It was the worst drought I've ever seen in my life.
Luana
Como é que começou? Foi queimada?
How did it start? Was it land being burned?
Benedito
A maior parte começou com queimada, sim, para limpar pasto para o gado. Com a seca, o fogo saiu do controle. Se tivesse chovido um pouco mais, não teria se espalhado tanto.
Most of it started with burning, yes, to clear pasture for cattle. With the drought, the fire got out of control. If it had rained a bit more, it wouldn't have spread so much.
Luana
E os bombeiros não chegaram a tempo?
And didn't the firefighters get there in time?
Benedito
Chegaram, mas era fogo demais para pouca gente. Se tivessem chegado mais bombeiros logo no começo, hoje a gente não estaria vendo isso. Eu e os outros guias passamos noites ajudando.
They did, but it was too much fire for too few people. If more firefighters had arrived right at the start, we wouldn't be seeing this today. The other guides and I spent nights helping.
Luana
Nossa, tio. Se eu tivesse sabido, tinha vindo antes para ajudar.
Gosh, Uncle. If I'd known, I would have come earlier to help.
Benedito
Não tinha muito o que fazer. O pior veio depois: a pesca ficou meses parada e os turistas cancelaram as viagens. E é do turismo que a gente vive aqui.
There wasn't much you could have done. The worst part came afterwards: fishing stopped for months and the tourists cancelled their trips. And tourism is what we live on here.
Luana
E agora? Os peixes voltaram?
And now? Have the fish come back?
Benedito
Estão voltando, graças a Deus, e os turistas voltaram a aparecer. Mas me preocupa que a seca volte este ano. Tenho medo de que aconteça tudo de novo.
They're coming back, thank God, and the tourists have started coming again. But it worries me that the drought might come back this year. I'm afraid it'll all happen again.
Luana
Eu queria dar algum apoio, tio. Se eu divulgar o seu trabalho nas redes sociais, você acha que ajuda?
I'd like to give you some support. If I share your work on social media, do you think it'll help?
Benedito
Claro que ajuda. Toda ajuda é pouca. E, se você trouxer uns amigos de São Paulo para pescar, melhor ainda.
Of course it'll help. Every little helps. And if you bring some friends from São Paulo to go fishing, even better.
Understand
Se eu tivesse sabido… teria feito
To talk about the unreal past, what didn't happen, use + the pluperfect subjunctive ( + participle) and the conditional perfect ( + participle): (If it had rained more, the fire wouldn't have spread so much).
In everyday speech, Brazilians very often replace with : . Both are correct in speech; in writing, use .
| Person | Pluperfect subjunctive | Conditional perfect |
|---|---|---|
| , , , | ||
| , , |
All types of se sentences
The tense after shows how real the situation is. For something that may happen, use the future subjunctive (B1). For something unreal now, the imperfect subjunctive. For something unreal in the past, the pluperfect subjunctive.
The two halves can refer to different times. In a mixed sentence, a past condition has a result now: .
| Type | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| possible | If you bring friends, even better. | |
| unreal now | If it rained more, there wouldn't be so much fire. | |
| unreal past | If it had rained, it wouldn't have spread. | |
| mixed | If they'd arrived earlier, we wouldn't be like this now. |
Expressing concern
and are followed by the subjunctive, because they express a feeling about something that may happen: . In speech, many people drop the : . … can be followed by a noun, an infinitive or + subjunctive.
- Me preocupa que a seca volte este ano.It worries me that the drought might come back this year.
- Tenho medo de que aconteça tudo de novo.I'm afraid it'll all happen again.
- O que mais me preocupa é o turismo.What worries me most is tourism.
- Estou preocupada com os animais.I'm worried about the animals.
More in the grammar: If-clauses: se
New words
- a florestaforest · feminine; : the Amazon rainforest
- pegar fogoto catch fire, to burn
- o incêndiofire (a large, destructive one) · masculine; : fire in general
- a secadrought; the dry season · feminine; : the riverbank
- a queimadathe burning of land (to clear it) · feminine
- espalhar-seto spread · : the fire spread
- o gadocattle · masculine, used in the singular
- o bombeiro / a bombeirafirefighter
- a tempoin time
- a pescafishing · feminine; : to fish
- voltar a…to do again, to start doing again · + infinitive: : they've started coming again
- o apoiosupport · masculine; : to support
- divulgarto share, to spread the word about · : to share on social media
- Toda ajuda é pouca.Every little helps. (lit. all help is little)
Practise
1.Complete: “Se eu … sabido, tinha vindo antes.”
2.Complete with the conditional perfect of (written style): “If it had rained more, it wouldn't have spread so much.”
If it had rained more, it wouldn't have spread so much.
3.Complete with the subjunctive of : “It worries me that the drought might come back.”
It worries me that the drought might come back.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.If I'd known, I would have come earlier.
5.Match the Portuguese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
6.Which sentence is a mixed condition (past cause, present result)?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Se eu tivesse sabido, teria vindo antes.
If I'd known, I would have come earlier.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.