Questions & Answers about Eu preciso trabalhar hoje.
Why is the pronoun "Eu" included here when Portuguese often drops subject pronouns?
In Portuguese, personal pronouns can be dropped because the verb ending usually shows who the subject is. However, speakers sometimes keep them in for emphasis or clarity. In Eu preciso trabalhar hoje, you can omit Eu and just say Preciso trabalhar hoje, which is also perfectly correct. Using Eu simply makes the sentence sound a bit more emphatic or explicit.
Why does "preciso" end with an "o"?
Preciso comes from the verb precisar, which means "to need." In the present tense (eu form), the ending changes from -ar to -o (just like with eu falo, eu como, eu preciso). This indicates it's the first-person singular form: eu preciso ("I need").
Why is the verb "trabalhar" in its infinitive form?
When one verb follows another, the second verb often stays in the infinitive in Portuguese. Here, precisar is the main verb (conjugated), and trabalhar (to work) acts as the complementary action. So we say preciso trabalhar, not preciso trabalho (which would change the meaning to "I need a job" if you say preciso de trabalho).
Is it always correct to say "hoje" at the end of the sentence?