Breakdown of Se calhar esse furador é vosso, visto que o agrafador é nosso.
ser
to be
nosso
our (m/f/pl: nosso, nossa, nossos, nossas)
esse
that (esse, essa, esses, essas)
o
him/it (m)
vosso
your (plural, of vocês; forms: vosso, vossa, vossos, vossas)
se calhar
maybe, perhaps
visto que
seeing that
o agrafador
the stapler
o furador
the hole punch
Questions & Answers about Se calhar esse furador é vosso, visto que o agrafador é nosso.
Why is there no definite article before vosso and nosso in this sentence?
When a possessive pronoun is used in a predicative position (meaning it comes after the verb ser to state who owns the subject), we usually drop the definite article. Saying é o vosso is possible, but it changes the meaning slightly to "it is THE one that is yours" rather than just stating the simple fact of ownership.
Since se calhar means "perhaps," why doesn't it trigger the subjunctive mood here?
While the word talvez (perhaps/maybe) strictly requires the subjunctive mood, the fixed expression se calhar is an exception and takes the normal indicative mood. That is why the sentence uses é instead of the subjunctive seja.
Could I use porque instead of visto que in this sentence?
Yes, you could use porque (because), but visto que (since / seeing that) is an excellent alternative that makes your Portuguese sound more natural and varied at a B2 level. It is typically used to introduce a reason or justification that is already known or logical in the context.
How can I easily remember the vocabulary for furador and agrafador?
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