Portuguese Phrase
Sim, se não te importar, por favor.
Meaning
This is a highly polite and considerate way to accept an offer or request a favor in Portuguese. It combines a direct affirmation with a conditional clause that acknowledges the other person's effort, making the speaker sound respectful and humble. It is more sophisticated than a simple 'Yes, please' because it explicitly checks for the other person's convenience.
When to use
Use this phrase when someone offers to do something for you, such as carrying a bag, opening a window, or fetching a drink. It is particularly useful in social settings where you want to show good manners and avoid appearing demanding.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Simsenãoteimportarpor favor
Personal Infinitive
The verb 'importar' is used in the personal infinitive form here, which is a unique feature of Portuguese used after certain conjunctions like 'se'.
Object Pronoun 'te'
The pronoun 'te' is the informal object pronoun for 'you'. In very formal contexts, this would change to 'se' or 'lhe' to match the register.
🗨In Conversation
Quer que eu ligue o ar-condicionado?
Do you want me to turn on the air conditioning?
Sim, se não te importar, por favor.
Yes, if you don't mind, please.
✕Common Mistakes
Sim, se não te importa, por favor.
In this conditional structure following 'se', the personal infinitive 'importar' is required rather than the present indicative 'importa'.
Sim, se não me importar, por favor.
The pronoun should refer to the person being asked ('te' or 'se'), not the speaker ('me').
↔Alternatives
Sim, por favor.
Yes, please.
Se não for incômodo, sim.
If it's not a bother, yes.
Se não for pedir muito, sim.
If it's not asking too much, yes.
Cultural Tip
Portuguese speakers, especially in Brazil and Portugal, value 'educação' (politeness) and often use indirect phrasing to soften requests. Using 'se não te importar' shows that you are conscious of social harmony. In more formal regions or situations, you might hear 'se não se importar' using the formal 'se' instead of 'te'.