Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil): Nós devemos fazer compras na cidade grande.

In Brazilian Portuguese, nós and a gente both mean we, but nós is more formal or standard and requires the verb conjugation in the plural (e.g., nós devemos). A gente is more colloquial and requires the third-person singular conjugation (e.g., a gente deve). In everyday speech, you’ll often hear a gente, but using nós is perfectly acceptable and sometimes preferred in more formal contexts.

What does devemos mean and how is it used?

Devemos comes from the verb dever and can mean we should, we ought to, or we must. It expresses a sense of obligation or recommendation. For example, nós devemos estudar would translate to we should study or we must study.

Why do we say fazer compras instead of just using a single verb?

In Portuguese, fazer compras literally means to do shopping or to make purchases, and it’s the common way of saying to go shopping. You’ll hear it used frequently in everyday language, just like we say go shopping in English.

Is there a difference between na cidade grande and em uma cidade grande?

Yes. Na cidade grande indicates that the speaker has a specific large city in mind—na is a contraction of em + a, suggesting in the big city. On the other hand, em uma cidade grande means in a big city, which implies any unspecified large city. If you already know which big city you’re talking about, you tend to use na cidade grande.

Can devemos be replaced by temos que?

Yes! Temos que (literally we have to) also signifies obligation, but it can sound slightly stronger. Devemos can carry the nuance of we should, while temos que feels more like we have to. In everyday conversation, both forms are used, and the difference is often subtle in spoken Portuguese.