Breakdown of O chocolate só vai derreter se o deixarmos ao sol por muito tempo.
o tempo
the time
se
if
o
it
deixar
to leave
por
for
o chocolate
the chocolate
derreter
to melt
só
only
o sol
the sun
muito
too
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Questions & Answers about O chocolate só vai derreter se o deixarmos ao sol por muito tempo.
What does só mean in this sentence?
In this context, só means "only". It emphasizes that the chocolate will melt exclusively if the specified condition is met.
Why is deixarmos used instead of the infinitive deixar?
Deixarmos is the first-person plural form in the subjunctive mood of the verb deixar. In conditional sentences like this one, Portuguese often uses the subjunctive to express a hypothetical situation—in this case, if we leave it in the sun. It agrees with the implied subject we.
What does the phrase ao sol mean and how is it constructed?
Ao sol translates to "in the sun" (or sometimes "under the sun"). It’s formed by the preposition a combined with the article o, indicating direction or location. This contraction is a common way in Portuguese to refer to being exposed to the sun.
What function does the pronoun o serve in se o deixarmos?
The pronoun o replaces and refers back to o chocolate (the chocolate). It’s a direct object pronoun that prevents repetition of the noun, similar to using "it" in English.
How is the conditional structure of this sentence similar to English conditionals?
The sentence is structured so that the main clause states the result—"O chocolate só vai derreter" (The chocolate will only melt)—and the subordinate clause introduced by se (if) provides the condition—"deixarmos ao sol por muito tempo" (if we leave it in the sun for a long time). While both Portuguese and English use a similar "if... then..." construction, Portuguese uses the subjunctive mood in the conditional clause, which is a distinctive grammatical feature compared to English.