Breakdown of A joalharia fechou, de forma que o ourives não fundiu o ouro.
não
not / no
fechar
to close
o ourives
the goldsmith
o ouro
the gold
a joalharia
the jewelry store
de forma que
so that / in a way that (form)
fundir
to melt
Questions & Answers about A joalharia fechou, de forma que o ourives não fundiu o ouro.
Why is fundiu in the indicative mood instead of the subjunctive?
The phrase de forma que can trigger either the indicative or the subjunctive depending on its meaning. Here, it describes a factual consequence of the jewelry store closing. Because it is an actual result that happened, we use the indicative (fundiu). If it described an intended purpose, it would require the subjunctive.
Would the meaning change if we used the subjunctive (fundisse) instead?
Yes, drastically! If the sentence were A joalharia fechou, de forma que o ourives não fundisse o ouro, it would mean the store closed on purpose to prevent the goldsmith from melting the gold. The subjunctive shifts de forma que from expressing a factual result to an intended goal.
Can I use de modo que instead of de forma que in this sentence?
Absolutely. de modo que and de forma que are perfectly interchangeable here and follow the exact same rules for choosing between the indicative and subjunctive moods.
What exactly is an ourives compared to a joalharia?
joalharia refers to the jewelry store itself or the jewelry trade, while an ourives is the artisan: a goldsmith or silversmith. The word ourives has roots in the word ouro (gold), but applies to artisans working with various precious metals.
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