Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil): Claro, a gente sempre quer ajudar, mas agora precisamos ler. - Sure, we always want to help, but now we need to read.

In Brazilian Portuguese, a gente is a very common, more colloquial way to say nós (“we”). It literally means “the people,” but it functions as a first-person plural pronoun in everyday speech. Despite meaning “we,” a gente typically takes third-person singular verb forms (like quer in the sentence).

Is it correct that a gente sometimes pairs with precisamos instead of precisa?

Technically, a gente should be followed by third-person singular verbs, so the standard form would be a gente precisa. However, it’s not unusual to hear native speakers mix forms and say a gente precisamos, blending the usage of nós with a gente. This mix can occur in casual speech, though it may be considered less formal.

Why do we have a comma after Claro?

Claro is functioning as an interjection or a short introductory expression here. Commas are often used in Portuguese (and English as well) to separate these introductory words or phrases from the rest of the sentence.

What is the role of mas in this sentence?

Mas means “but” in Portuguese. It introduces a contrast between the first statement (that we always want to help) and the following statement (that now we need to read instead).

Why is ler in its infinitive form?

In Portuguese, after verbs like precisar, we usually use the infinitive form of the next verb to indicate the action needed. So precisamos ler means “we need to read,” using the infinitive ler after precisamos.

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