Breakdown of Antes de juntarmos o coalho, precisamos de verificar a temperatura com o termómetro.
com
with
precisar de
to need
antes de
before
juntar
to add
a temperatura
the temperature
verificar
to check
o coalho
the rennet
o termómetro
the thermometer
Questions & Answers about Antes de juntarmos o coalho, precisamos de verificar a temperatura com o termómetro.
Why do we use the personal infinitive juntarmos if both actions are done by us?
When the subject is the same in both clauses (we add, we need), you can actually use either the impersonal infinitive (juntar) or the personal infinitive (juntarmos). Portuguese speakers often choose the personal infinitive after antes de anyway because it makes it immediately clear who is doing the action before the main verb is even spoken.
Could I say antes que instead of antes de in this sentence?
You could, but it completely changes the grammar of the sentence. The phrase antes de takes an infinitive verb, which is why we can use juntarmos. If you use antes que, it forces the next verb into the subjunctive mood (antes que juntemos). Using antes de with the personal infinitive is generally preferred because it sounds very natural and avoids the subjunctive.
Is it wrong to use adicionarmos instead of juntarmos to mean add?
Not at all! Adicionar translates directly to add and is perfectly correct. However, in Portuguese recipes and cooking contexts, the verb juntar (literally to join) is extremely common for adding or mixing ingredients together.
Why do we need the preposition de in precisamos de verificar?
In European Portuguese, the verb precisar (to need) requires the preposition de before a noun or an infinitive verb. While Brazilian Portuguese often drops it before a verb, a European Portuguese speaker will naturally say precisar de fazer (to need to do something).
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