Question 1

Why is usas in the present indicative and not the subjunctive, since "the more you use" sounds like a hypothetical condition?

Accepted Answer

In Portuguese, the structure Quanto mais... mais... (The more... the more...) takes the indicative when stating a general fact or a direct cause-and-effect that is currently true, as in this sentence. If you were talking about a purely future hypothetical condition, you would use the future subjunctive: Quanto mais usares...

Question 2

I noticed it says mais depressa instead of mais rápido. Can I use mais rápido here?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in everyday spoken Portuguese in Portugal, you will often hear mais rápido o gelo derrete. However, depressa is an adverb meaning "quickly" while rápido is technically an adjective meaning "fast". Using mais depressa is the most grammatically precise way to modify the verb derrete (melts), though mais rápido is widely accepted in casual speech.

Question 3

Is the word order strictly fixed for o gelo derrete at the end? Could I say mais depressa derrete o gelo?

Accepted Answer

Both word orders are perfectly natural. Putting the verb before the subject (mais depressa derrete o gelo) is very common in Portuguese, especially in dependent clauses or after an adverbial phrase. It often puts a bit more emphasis on the action of melting itself.

Question 4

Why doesn't Quanto change to match the feminine noun motosserra?

Accepted Answer

In this sentence, Quanto acts as an adverb modifying the verb usas (how much you use), so it is invariable and doesn't change. It would only change to agree in gender and number if it were modifying a noun directly, such as in Quantas mais motosserras... (The more chainsaws...).

Quanto mais usas a motosserra, mais depressa o gelo derrete.

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