Eu quero achar a chave.

I want to find the key.

Breakdown of Eu quero achar a chave.

• eu: I
• querer: to want
• chave: key
• achar: to find

Questions & Answers about Eu quero achar a chave.

Why does the sentence use achar instead of another verb like encontrar?

In Brazilian Portuguese, achar and encontrar are often used somewhat interchangeably to mean “to find.” However, achar can also mean “to think” in other contexts. In the sentence Eu quero achar a chave, it focuses on the act of searching in order to eventually find the key, but encontrar would also be acceptable.

Is it necessary to say Eu at the beginning, or could I just say Quero achar a chave?

Portuguese is a pro-drop language, meaning you can omit the subject pronoun when the verb form makes it clear who is doing the action. So Quero achar a chave is also correct. Including Eu can add emphasis or clarity, especially in cases where context is not obvious.

Why does the sentence use the article a before chave?

In Portuguese, nouns typically need an article to specify whether it’s the key, a key, etc. Here, a chave translates to “the key” in English. If you were talking about “a key” in general, you might say uma chave, but since you likely have a specific key in mind, a chave is used.

Is chave feminine or masculine, and does it affect how we use articles or adjectives?

Chave is a feminine noun in Portuguese. That’s why you see it with the feminine article a or uma. Any adjectives that modify chave should also use feminine agreement, for example, a chave perdida (the lost key).

Can achar also mean “to think” in this context?

Although achar can mean “to think” or “to have an opinion,” in Eu quero achar a chave, the meaning is clearly “to find.” The context usually helps you figure out which sense is intended.