Breakdown of Vemos a foca nadar mais depressa do que conseguimos andar.
mais
more
ver
to see
do que
than
nadar
to swim
conseguir
to manage / to get / obtain
andar
to walk
depressa
quickly, fast
a foca
the seal
Questions & Answers about Vemos a foca nadar mais depressa do que conseguimos andar.
In this clausal comparative, why do we use do que before conseguimos?
When comparing two actions where the second part is a fully conjugated clause (here, conseguimos andar), you generally must use do que. While you can sometimes drop the do when just comparing two nouns or pronouns, do que is the standard requirement before a conjugated verb in this type of comparison.
Why is the second verb conseguimos in the indicative rather than the subjunctive?
We use the indicative here because the comparison is based on a stated fact: we actually can walk at a certain speed, and the seal swims faster than that. You would only use the subjunctive after do que if the second action were purely hypothetical, contrary to fact, or an unrealized expectation.
Why is it a foca nadar instead of using a subordinate clause like que a foca nada?
With verbs of perception like ver (to see), ouvir (to hear), or sentir (to feel), Portuguese commonly uses a direct object followed by an infinitive, exactly like English does with "see the seal swim". You could technically say Vemos que a foca nada, but the infinitive construction is much more natural and direct when you are physically witnessing the action happen.
Could I say mais rápido instead of mais depressa in this sentence?
In European Portuguese, depressa is the standard adverb for "quickly" or "fast," whereas rápido is primarily an adjective used to describe nouns (like um carro rápido). While you might hear mais rápido used as an adverb in informal speech, mais depressa is the grammatically correct and far more natural choice here because it modifies the verb nadar.
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