When describing strict procedures and workflows, you often need to state the exact order of operations. In Portuguese, you can link these steps chronologically using temporal phrases followed by the infinitive.
Antes de (Before)
To say that an action happens "before doing" something else, use the phrase antes de followed by a verb in its infinitive (unconjugated) form.
| You check the machine before working. | Tu verificas a máquina antes de trabalhar. |
Attaching Pronouns to Infinitives
To avoid repeating vocabulary, you will frequently attach direct object pronouns like o or a (meaning "it") to the end of infinitives.
When doing this, drop the final -r of the verb and change the pronoun to -lo or -la. For verbs ending in -ar, add an acute accent to the last vowel (-á).
For example, testar + o becomes testá-lo (to test it).
| You have to check the material before testing it. | Tens de verificar o material antes de testá-lo. |
Depois de (After)
Similarly, use depois de followed by the infinitive to express that an action happens "after doing" something else.
| We measure this part after cutting the material. | Medimos esta peça depois de cortar o material. |
| The boss has to approve the product after testing it. | O chefe tem de aprovar o produto depois de testá-lo. |
| He packs the product after checking the quantity. | Ele embala o produto depois de verificar a quantidade. |