Eu não quero livros.

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Breakdown of Eu não quero livros.

• os: the
• livro: book
• querer: to want
• não: not

Questions & Answers about Eu não quero livros.

Why do we use não here instead of something like no in English?

In Portuguese, não is the word for not, so it’s used to make a sentence negative. Even though no and não look similar, they mean different things in their respective languages.

Why is the pronoun Eu included? Can I leave it out?

In Portuguese, subject pronouns can often be omitted because the verb endings usually indicate who is performing the action. You can say Não quero livros and still be easily understood. Including Eu simply adds emphasis or clarity.

What does quero mean and why does it look like that?

Quero is the first-person present form of the verb querer, which means to want. Verbs in Portuguese are conjugated according to the subject, so eu quero means I want in the present tense.

Why is livros in the plural form here?

When you say livros, you’re referring to books in general, in the plural. If you were referring to a single book, you would say livro. Using the plural tells us you don’t want any books, not just one.

Is there another way to say I don’t want books in Portuguese?

Yes, you could say Não quero livros to sound slightly more conversational or Eu não quero nenhum livro (I don’t want any book) for more emphasis on any. Both forms are acceptable and convey a similar meaning.