Question 1

How does the prefix sub- change the meaning of the verb contratar in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

The prefix sub- indicates a lower level in a hierarchy or being underneath something. By adding it to contratar (to contract), we get subcontratar (to subcontract). This means the carrier, who already has a main contract, is hiring someone else to do part of the work under them.

Question 2

Does the phrase visto que trigger the subjunctive mood?

Accepted Answer

No, visto que (meaning since or seeing as) is used to state a known fact or the definite cause of something, so it takes the normal indicative mood. In this sentence, that is the present tense verb há. It is a great B2-level alternative to porque or já que for connecting ideas.

Question 3

Why doesn't the word motoristas end in -os since drivers are typically referred to in the masculine plural for a general group?

Accepted Answer

Nouns ending in the suffix -ista, such as motorista, artista, or dentista, are invariable in gender. This means the spelling of the noun itself does not change whether you are talking about a man or a woman. A mixed or masculine group of drivers is simply written as os motoristas.

Question 4

Could I use the verb ter instead of há to say there is a lot of work?

Accepted Answer

In European Portuguese, you should always use the impersonal verb haver (conjugated here as há) to mean there is or there are. While using the verb ter for this purpose is extremely common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese, it sounds unnatural in Portugal.

A transportadora vai subcontratar mais motoristas, visto que há muito trabalho.

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