Breakdown of Por causa da rivalidade, as duas equipas desconfiam uma da outra.
de
of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)
dois
two
um
one
a
to / at (direction)
as
them (f)
outro
other
a equipa
the team
por causa de
because of (due to)
desconfiar
to distrust
a rivalidade
the rivalry
Questions & Answers about Por causa da rivalidade, as duas equipas desconfiam uma da outra.
Why do we use uma da outra instead of the usual uma à outra to say "each other"?
The reciprocal phrase has to match the preposition that the verb requires. The verb desconfiar (to distrust / to be suspicious) is always followed by the preposition de. Instead of a (which would give us à), we use de. Since it refers to as equipas (feminine), we use uma, and de + a outra contracts perfectly into da outra.
Why is uma da outra in the singular when the subject, as duas equipas, is plural?
Could we just use the reciprocal pronoun se and say as duas equipas desconfiam-se?
No, that doesn't work here. The reciprocal pronoun se acts as a direct or indirect object (like in elas veem-se, "they see each other"). Because desconfiar strictly requires the preposition de, you can't just attach se. You have to spell out the relationship using uma da outra to make room for that preposition.
Why is it por causa da rivalidade instead of porque da rivalidade for "because of the rivalry"?
Porque means "because" and is used as a conjunction to introduce a new phrase with a verb (e.g., porque são rivais - "because they are rivals"). When you want to say "because of" followed by just a noun, you must use the expression por causa de. Here, de merges with the feminine article a to make da.
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