Breakdown of O vidro está tão quente que quase que derreteu a haste!
estar
to be (temporary / location)
tão
as / so
o
him/it (m)
quase
almost
quente
warm
o vidro
the glass (material)
derreter
to melt
que
expletive que after 'quase' (emphatic particle)
a haste
the rod
Questions & Answers about O vidro está tão quente que quase que derreteu a haste!
Why is there a second que in quase que derreteu?
This second que is a "partícula de realce" (particle of emphasis). It doesn't translate to anything in English and doesn't change the grammar or meaning of the sentence. You could just as easily say quase derreteu, but adding que after quase is a very common habit in spoken Portuguese to make the "almost" sound a bit more expressive or dramatic.
Is the first que in the sentence also just for emphasis?
No, the first que is a mandatory conjunction. It belongs to the fixed structure tão [adjective] que... (so [adjective] that...). It connects the cause (O vidro está tão quente) to its result.
Why does the tense switch from the present (está) to the past (derreteu)?
The first part describes a state that is still true right now: the glass is currently very hot. The second part describes a specific consequence that already (almost) happened because of that heat. The action of melting the rod is treated as a completed past event, hence the Pretérito Perfeito.
What exactly is a haste in this context?
A haste generally translates to a rod, stem, or shaft. Given the context of hot glass, it most likely refers to a metal rod used in glassblowing or a glass stirring rod used in a laboratory or industrial setting.
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