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Visto que a máquina falhou, não podemos observar nada.

Visto que a máquina falhou, não podemos observar nada.
Seeing that the machine failed, we cannot observe anything.
From Lesson 227:Formal causal connectors (já que, visto que...)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about Visto que a máquina falhou, não podemos observar nada.

Can I use já que or dado que instead of visto que in this sentence?
Yes, they are highly interchangeable! They all mean "since", "given that", or "seeing that". Visto que literally translates to "seen that", which nicely matches the English "seeing that". You can swap it with já que or dado que here without changing the meaning.
Do causal conjunctions like visto que require the subjunctive?
No, they take the normal indicative tenses. Here, we use the regular past tense (falhou). You don't need the subjunctive because visto que establishes a known fact or cause, rather than expressing doubt, emotion, or uncertainty.
Why are there two negative words (não and nada) in the second half of the sentence?
Portuguese frequently uses double negatives. When a negative word like nada (nothing/anything) comes after the verb, you must put não before the verb. Literally, it translates to "we don't can observe nothing."
Why do we use the past tense for falhar but the present tense for poder?
The sentence links a completed event in the past to a consequence happening right now. The machine broke down in the past (falhou), and as a direct result, we currently cannot observe anything (podemos).

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