Breakdown of O ourives precisa da pinça, de modo que possa cravar o diamante.
precisar de
to need
poder
can / may (verb)
o diamante
the diamond
o ourives
the goldsmith
de modo que
so that / in such a way that (mode)
a pinça
the tweezers
cravar
to set
Questions & Answers about O ourives precisa da pinça, de modo que possa cravar o diamante.
Why is the verb poder in the subjunctive (possa) instead of the indicative (pode)?
This is the heart of using de modo que. When it expresses a purpose or goal (meaning "so that"), it requires the subjunctive because the action is an intention, not a reality yet. If de modo que were expressing an actual consequence that is already happening (meaning "in such a way that"), it would use the indicative instead.
Could I use para que instead of de modo que here?
Yes, para que also means "so that" and fits perfectly. Both trigger the subjunctive when expressing a goal. However, de modo que is trickier because, unlike para que, it can also be used with the indicative when stating a real, established consequence.
Why does the Portuguese sentence use the singular da pinça when the English translation says "tweezers" (plural)?
Does cravar only mean to set a jewel?
No. Broadly, cravar means to drive, hammer, or stick something firmly into something else. Outside of jewelry making, you will often hear it used for hammering nails (cravar um prego) or digging claws or teeth into something.
Learn O ourives precisa da pinça, de modo que possa cravar o diamante and more in Portuguese
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free