Você quer assistir a um filme ou estudar português?

you

Breakdown of Você quer assistir a um filme ou estudar português?

• querer: to want
• português: Portuguese
• um: a
• estudar: to study
• ou: or
• assistir: to watch
• filme: the movie

Questions & Answers about Você quer assistir a um filme ou estudar português?

Why is there an a before um filme after assistir?

In Brazilian Portuguese, the verb assistir (meaning "to watch") typically takes the preposition a when referring to watching something. So you usually say assistir a um filme ("to watch a movie"). In colloquial speech, you might hear people drop the a, but the more "textbook" way is to include it.

Can I say assistir um filme without the a?

Yes, you’ll hear that usage in everyday conversations, but it’s considered less formal. Grammatically speaking, assistir a um filme is more correct. If you're aiming for correctness in written or more formal contexts, use the preposition a.

Why do we use quer instead of something like queres or queria?

• Queres is a form primarily used in Portugal (second-person singular), whereas in Brazil, people generally use você quer.
• Queria is the imperfect past tense form, often used to soften a request, for example: Eu queria assistir a um filme ("I would like to watch a movie").
In this sentence, we’re asking directly in the present tense, so quer is most appropriate.

Why did we drop the article before português in estudar português?

Language names in Portuguese often don’t need an article when used as a direct object of a verb. For example, falar inglês ("to speak English"), estudar francês ("to study French"), and likewise estudar português ("to study Portuguese").

Is the sentence order flexible if I say quer assistir a um filme ou quer estudar português?

Yes, you could repeat quer before estudar português, but it’s not necessary. It might sound a bit more formal or deliberate. The original sentence Você quer assistir a um filme ou estudar português? is succinct and perfectly acceptable in everyday speech.