Breakdown of É de evitar comer isso, já que causa uma intoxicação.
ser
to be
isso
that
de
of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)
um
a / an / some (all forms)
comer
to eat
já que
since (reason)
evitar
to avoid
causar
to cause
a intoxicação
the poisoning
Questions & Answers about É de evitar comer isso, já que causa uma intoxicação.
How exactly does the é de evitar structure work in this sentence?
This is the evaluative impersonal infinitive you are currently learning. The structure ser de + infinitive (here, é de evitar) is used to express that something should or is meant to be done. It gives a general recommendation or rule, translating well to 'is to be avoided' or 'one ought to avoid'.
Why do we have two infinitives right next to each other (evitar comer)?
The first infinitive, evitar, belongs to the é de structure. The second infinitive, comer, is simply the object of evitar. Just like in English where you say 'to avoid eating', in Portuguese the verb evitar connects directly to another infinitive without requiring a preposition between them.
Could I just say porque instead of já que?
Is intoxicação a false friend? It looks like the English word 'intoxication'.
Yes, it is a false friend! In Portuguese, intoxicação almost always means 'poisoning', most commonly referring to food poisoning (intoxicação alimentar). If you want to talk about alcohol intoxication (being drunk), you would use words like embriaguez or simply say someone is bêbado.
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