Paulo precisa chegar cedo.

Paulo

Breakdown of Paulo precisa chegar cedo.

• precisar: to need
• cedo: early
• chegar: to arrive

Questions & Answers about Paulo precisa chegar cedo.

Why is chegar in the infinitive form instead of chega or chegando?

In Portuguese, when using the verb precisar to express a necessity, it’s common to follow it with the infinitive form of the next verb. So you say Paulo precisa chegar (Paulo needs to arrive), not Paulo precisa chega or Paulo precisa chegando.

Is it correct to say Paulo precisa de chegar cedo?

In modern Brazilian Portuguese, Paulo precisa chegar cedo is more common. Generally, precisar without de is used before a verb in the infinitive. Using precisar de is more frequent when followed by a noun, as in Preciso de ajuda (I need help).

Why don’t we say O Paulo precisa chegar cedo?

In Portuguese, it’s uncommon to use the definite article before a person’s name, although some dialects or regions might do so. In standard Brazilian Portuguese, people typically drop the article before names.

Can I replace cedo with something else?

Yes! If you want to specify “earlier,” you could say Paulo precisa chegar mais cedo. Or if you need to indicate a specific time, you could say Paulo precisa chegar às oito da manhã, for example.

Is cedo an adjective or an adverb here?

In this context, cedo functions as an adverb, describing when Paulo needs to arrive. It answers the question “When does he need to arrive?”