Eu quero o livro.

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Breakdown of Eu quero o livro.

• livro: book
• o: the
• querer: to want

Questions & Answers about Eu quero o livro.

Why do we include o before the noun livro?

In Portuguese, nouns are usually accompanied by an article (definite or indefinite). The article o is the masculine definite article, so it specifies that you’re talking about the book. This is similar to using “the” in English to refer to a specific object.

Is Eu quero always necessary, or can I just say Quero o livro?

You can omit Eu and say Quero o livro, and it would still mean the same thing. In Portuguese, the verb conjugation already indicates the subject (eu). Saying Eu quero o livro is perfectly correct but slightly more emphatic because you explicitly state the subject.

Why is it quero and not quer?

Quero is the first-person singular (eu) present-tense form of the verb querer. Quer is the third-person singular form (ele/ela/você). Since you are saying “I want,” you need quero.

Is there a polite or formal way to say "I want the book" in Portuguese?

Brazilian Portuguese doesn’t usually switch to a separate verb form for politeness. However, you can soften the request with Eu gostaria do livro (I would like the book) or Poderia me dar o livro, por favor? (Could you give me the book, please?). These sound more polite but convey a slightly different nuance.

Do we also need to use “um” or “uma” before the noun “livro”?

You would use an indefinite article like um (masculine) for “a book” if you were talking about a non-specific book: Eu quero um livro. But since we’re talking about a specific book here, it’s o livro.