Breakdown of Precisamos de silêncio para os violinos afinarem bem.
bem
well / fine
para
to / for
precisar de
to need
o silêncio
the silence
o
him/it (m)
afinar
to tune
o violino
the violin
Questions & Answers about Precisamos de silêncio para os violinos afinarem bem.
Why is the verb afinarem instead of the regular infinitive afinar?
This is the Personal Infinitive! Because the action of tuning belongs to a specific plural subject (the violins), we take the base verb afinar and add the "they" ending -em to make afinarem.
How do I know when to use the Personal Infinitive after para in sentences like this?
You use it because the subject changes. The first action is about "us" (precisamos), but the second action is about "the violins" (afinarem). Conjugating the infinitive after para (in order to / for) makes it clear exactly who is doing that second action.
Why is the subject os violinos placed between para and the verb?
When using the Personal Infinitive after a preposition, the subject usually sits right before the verb. This maps perfectly to the English structure: "for" (para) + "the violins" (os violinos) + "to tune" (afinarem).
Just a quick refresher: why do we say precisamos de and not just precisamos?
The verb precisar (to need) pairs with the preposition de whenever you state the noun that you need. So "we need silence" is always expressed as precisamos de silêncio.
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