19.10.5 daí que therefore / that's why

The conjunction daí que is more or less transparent. It steems from aí and de. Daí que is therefore, if literally translated, from there. A construction with from there used as conjunction would not be correct, however comprehensible: ~ He had an accident, from there he can't come. Daí que is selten used subordinate clauses..

daí que used in subordinate clauses.
Já vêm dotadas de um chip, daí que saibam tanto de computadores.
From the very beginning they are equipped with a chip, that's why they know such a lot about computers.



daí que with conjuntivo
É verão. Daí que todos estejam na praia.
It is summer. That's why everybody is on the beach.
Daí que seja importante que informação suficiente seja fornecida.
That's why it is important, that all information are made available.
Daí que fiquem muitas vezes na nossa memória, precisamente porque são uma exceção à regra.
Because they are an exception to the rule, they we remember them longer.


In the subordinate clause introduced by daí que can stay the indicativo and the conjuntivo.

daí que with indicativo
Daí que o futuro da sociedade está em nossas mãos e será definido pelas escolhas que fizermos.
That's why the future of the society lays in our hands and is determined by our decisions.
Daí que temos experiência em diferentes segmentos e regiões.
That's why we have experience in different areas and different regions.


The author was not able to find a comment from a Portuguese / Brasilian linguist concerning this issue. Any other consecutive conjunctions require the indicative mode and there is actually no reason that could justify the conjuntivo. There is no subjective evalutation of the reality, the events / actions described in the subordinate clause are not even hypothetical, there is no uncertainty. Nevertheless after daí que the conjuntive mood is possible.

However the Portuguese conjunction daí que corresponds to the Spanish conjunction de ahí que and spaniards wonder indeed about the use of the conjuntivo / subjuntivo after de ahí que. A question related to the use of the conjuntive in this context in an internet forum is answered by another participiant with a quote of the Real Academia Española. At least in Spain the Real Academia Española is respected as an authority concerning the correct use of Spanish. This institution states:

Se construyen generalmente con indicativo luego, conque, así que y otras conjunciones ilativas. En cambio, de ahí que admite los dos modos. El subjuntivo es mucho más frecuente en los textos, pero el indicativo se documenta también de manera ocasional.
In general luego (therefore), conque (hence), así que (thus) and other consecutive conjunctions requires the indicative. De ahí allows both moods. In texts the subjunctive is more common, but sometimes the indicativo is used as well.
De ahí que + subjuntivo


It is quite easy to find sentences with "de ahí que" with google. Doing that one will see, that there is a preference for the indicative. In Portuguese the relationship is more or less 30 percent (conjuntivo) and 70 percent (indicativo), wherin in the case of the conjuntivo we can distinguish between the presente do conjuntivo and the futuro do conjuntivo. However the situation is completely different, in both languages, when the action / event described in the subordinate clause introduced by daí que refers to the past. In this case only the indicativo is used.

daí que when the subordinate clause refers to the past
Daí que o futuro da sociedade está em nossas mãos e será definido pelas escolhas que fizermos.
Therefore it was necessary to promote the immigration from foreign countries.
Foi daí que soube do ocorrido.
That's why I knew what happened.
Dai que aprendeu mais sobre opressão e preconceito.
Because of this I learned a lot about supression and prejudice.







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