Eu quero melhorar meu português.

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Breakdown of Eu quero melhorar meu português.

• querer: to want
• português: Portuguese
• melhorar: to improve
• meu: my

Questions & Answers about Eu quero melhorar meu português.

Why do we say meu português and not minha português?

In Portuguese, the word português is masculine, so we use the possessive adjective meu (masculine form) instead of minha (feminine form).

Why is the verb querer conjugated as quero instead of another form?

Quero is the present tense conjugation of querer for the first-person singular (eu, meaning “I”). Other forms would be used for different subjects, like você quer, ele/ela quer, nós queremos, etc.

Is there a reason to say Eu quero melhorar meu português instead of just Quero melhorar meu português?

In everyday speech, Brazilians often drop eu (I) because the verb form quero already indicates the first person. However, including eu can add emphasis or clarity, especially if you want to stress you want to improve your Portuguese.

Why do we use an infinitive (melhorar) after quero?

In Portuguese, when one verb follows another in a sentence like “I want to do something,” the second verb is usually in the infinitive form (here, melhorar). The verb quero indicates the desire, and melhorar expresses the action being desired.

Could I say Eu quero aperfeiçoar meu português? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say aperfeiçoar (“to perfect”) instead of melhorar (“to improve”), but the nuance is slightly different. Melhorar is more general and common, focusing on making progress. Aperfeiçoar suggests a desire to fine-tune and refine, aiming for a higher level of skill.