Breakdown of Depois de termos feito o embrulho, pomos o laço.
ter
to have
fazer
to do
depois de
after
pôr
to put
o embrulho
the wrapping
o laço
the bow
Questions & Answers about Depois de termos feito o embrulho, pomos o laço.
Why is termos feito used here instead of a normal past tense like fizemos?
Because it follows the preposition de. In Portuguese, verbs following prepositions take the infinitive form. To show that this action was completely finished before the next step, we use the Perfect Personal Infinitive: the auxiliary verb ter conjugated for the 'we' form (termos) plus the past participle (feito).
Why is the main verb pomos in the present tense?
The sentence describes a general procedure or instruction, similar to saying 'After we wrap a gift, we put a bow on it' in English. The Perfect Personal Infinitive (termos feito) establishes the correct sequence of events, allowing the main action to stay in the present tense to state a general fact.
Does feito change its ending if the object is feminine or plural?
No. When forming perfect tenses with the auxiliary verb ter, the past participle (in this case, the highly irregular feito) never changes to match the gender or number of the object. It always remains exactly the same.
Could I use the word pacote instead of embrulho here?
Not naturally in this context. Embrulho specifically implies something that has been wrapped in paper, making it the perfect word for a wrapped present. A pacote is a generic package, parcel, or commercial packet (like a packet of sugar or a cardboard shipping box), which you wouldn't typically decorate with a bow (laço).
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