Breakdown of Depois de os ingredientes solidificarem, nós cortamos a coalhada o mais rápido possível.
nós
we
rápido
fast
mais
more
o
him/it (m)
depois de
after
cortar
to cut
possível
possible
o ingrediente
the ingredient
solidificar
to solidify
a coalhada
the curd
Questions & Answers about Depois de os ingredientes solidificarem, nós cortamos a coalhada o mais rápido possível.
Why do we use solidificarem instead of the regular infinitive solidificar or a subjunctive form?
After the phrase depois de, we must use an infinitive, not the subjunctive. Because the subject of the solidifying (os ingredientes) is explicitly stated and different from the subject of the main action (nós), we use the Personal Infinitive. We conjugate it to the third-person plural to match the ingredients.
Why is it written as de os instead of contracting to dos?
This is an important rule in Portuguese. When a preposition like de introduces an infinitive clause, it cannot be contracted with the article of the subject that follows it. Because os belongs to the subject (os ingredientes) of the verb solidificarem, we must leave de os uncontracted.
How does the phrase o mais rápido possível work to mean 'as quickly as possible'?
Is cortamos in the present or past tense here?
The form cortamos can actually be either the present or the simple past tense in European Portuguese, as they share the same spelling for nós. However, because this sentence describes a general process or instruction, it is understood as the present tense here.
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