Breakdown of Ainda bem que se podem usar as enciclopédias antigas.
poder
can / may (verb)
usar
to use / to wear
antigo
ancient
se
one (impersonal)
ainda bem que
it is a good thing that
a enciclopédia
the encyclopedia
Questions & Answers about Ainda bem que se podem usar as enciclopédias antigas.
Why is it podem (plural) when the translation just says "can be used"?
This sentence uses the passive se. In this structure, the items being used (as enciclopédias antigas) act as the grammatical subject of the sentence, rather than the direct object. Since the encyclopedias are plural, the modal verb poder must be conjugated in the plural to agree with them.
Why does se come before podem instead of being attached to it with a hyphen?
Could I say que podem usar-se instead, attaching the pronoun to the infinitive?
No, because the magnet word que pulls the pronoun to the front of the entire verb phrase. In European Portuguese, when a magnet word requires the pronoun to come before the verb, it goes before the conjugated auxiliary verb (podem), and you cannot attach it to the infinitive (usar) instead.
Does ainda bem que literally mean "still well that"?
Literally, yes, but it is a fixed phrase. It is the standard Portuguese idiom for "it is a good thing that" or "fortunately." It is much more natural for a B2 speaker to use ainda bem que than to try to translate "it is a good thing" word-for-word as é uma coisa boa que.
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