Question 1

How does isto é function in this sentence, and could I use ou seja instead?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can absolutely use ou seja. Both isto é and ou seja are connectors of clarification meaning "that is" or "in other words." In this sentence, isto é is used to introduce the practical consequence of the crevasse being deep: the fact that we must be careful.

Question 2

Why is there a de between precisamos and ter?

Accepted Answer

In European Portuguese, the verb precisar (to need) is almost always followed by the preposition de, even when the next word is an infinitive verb like ter. While you might hear Brazilian speakers drop the de before verbs, in Portugal, precisar de ter is the standard form.

Question 3

The English translation says "take a lot of precaution." Why does the Portuguese use ter (to have) instead of tomar (to take)?

Accepted Answer

In Portuguese, you typically use the verb ter with the singular noun precaução, literally translating to "to have precaution". If you want to use the verb tomar (to take), you would usually use the plural form of the noun: tomar muitas precauções (to take many precautions).

Question 4

Why is it fenda na neve instead of fenda da neve?

Accepted Answer

We use na (which is em + a) because it describes the physical location of the crevasse — it is a gap physically located in the snow. If you used da (de + a), it would sound like the crevasse is made out of snow, which does not make as much sense.

A fenda na neve é profunda, isto é, precisamos de ter muita precaução.

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