Breakdown of Espero que a engrenagem funcione com esta alavanca.
com
with
a
to / at (direction)
este
this (+ noun)
que
that (conjunction)
Questions & Answers about Espero que a engrenagem funcione com esta alavanca.
This lesson is about using the preposition a for mechanisms, so why do we use com in com esta alavanca?
We use the preposition a to describe the type of mechanism or power source that characterizes a machine, such as um motor a vapor (a steam engine) or um barco à vela (a sailboat). But when you are talking about a specific, physical tool you manipulate to get a result, you use com (with). Here, esta alavanca is a distinct tool you are using, so it requires com.
Why is funcione in the subjunctive here?
The phrase Espero que expresses a hope or desire, which is a classic trigger for the subjunctive mood in Portuguese. Because of this, the regular present tense funciona changes to the present subjunctive funcione.
Are most words ending in -agem feminine like a engrenagem?
Yes, almost all Portuguese nouns that end in -agem are feminine. This is a very reliable rule to remember for other common vocabulary words like a vantagem (the advantage), a abordagem (the approach), and a aprendizagem (the learning).