Artisan cheese making requires precise timing. To explain what happens before or after a specific step, we use the prepositions antes de (before) and depois de (after).
Unlike English, which usually follows "before" or "after" with a standard conjugated verb (e.g., "before we add"), Portuguese uses a unique grammatical feature: the Personal Infinitive (Infinitivo Pessoal).
The Personal Infinitive
The personal infinitive is simply the infinitive of the verb, but with endings attached to show exactly who is performing the action. For regular verbs, you add these endings directly to the full, base infinitive:
| Pronoun | Ending | Example (juntar) |
|---|---|---|
| eu / você / ele / ela | (no ending) | juntar |
| tu | -es | juntares |
| nós | -mos | juntarmos |
| vocês / eles / elas | -em | juntarem |
(Notice that the first-person singular and third-person singular share the plain, uninflected infinitive form.)
Sequencing Actions
Whenever you use antes de or depois de and need to specify who is doing the action—especially if the subject changes between the two parts of the sentence—you use this personal infinitive.
For example, when the subject is nós (we), we add -mos to the infinitive:
| Before we add the rennet, we need to check the temperature with the thermometer. | Antes de juntarmos o coalho, precisamos de verificar a temperatura com o termómetro. |
| After we press the cheese, the curing must be perfect. | Depois de nós prensarmos o queijo, a cura tem de ser perfeita. |
When the subject is eles, elas, or a plural noun (like the ingredients or the bacteria), we add -em to the infinitive:
| After the ingredients solidify, we cut the curd as quickly as possible. | Depois de os ingredientes solidificarem, nós cortamos a coalhada o mais rápido possível. |
| Press the molds before the bacteria grow! | Prensa os moldes antes de as bactérias crescerem! |
And when giving instructions directly to tu, add -es:
| Before you squeeze the curd, separate the whey. | Antes de tu espremeres a coalhada, separa o soro. |