Breakdown of Os decalques desta réplica são impossíveis de colar.
ser
to be
de
of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)
este
this (este, esta, estes, estas)
o
him/it (m)
impossível
impossible
colar
to glue
o decalque
the decal
a réplica
the replica
Questions & Answers about Os decalques desta réplica são impossíveis de colar.
Why do we need the preposition de before colar?
This is a specific sentence structure often called tough-movement. When a specific subject like Os decalques is described as easy, hard, or impossible to do something to, Portuguese uses the verb ser followed by the evaluative adjective, the preposition de, and the infinitive verb. The de bridges the descriptive adjective (impossíveis) with the action (colar).
Why is the adjective impossíveis in the plural here?
In this structure, the adjective must agree with the specific subject it describes, which is the plural Os decalques. If we rephrased the sentence to use an impersonal 'It is...' structure, the adjective would become singular and the preposition de would disappear: É impossível colar os decalques desta réplica.
If I replace the subject with a pronoun like 'they', does the structure stay the same?
Does the verb colar have any other common meanings in everyday Portuguese?
Yes! While here it literally means 'to glue' or 'to stick', in a school context, colar is the standard informal word for cheating on a test or copying someone else's answers.
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