Eu quero tomar café quente agora.

I want to have hot coffee now.

Breakdown of Eu quero tomar café quente agora.

• eu: I
• agora: now
• querer: to want
• quente: hot
• o café: the coffee
• tomar: to have

Questions & Answers about Eu quero tomar café quente agora.

Why do we say tomar instead of beber in this sentence?

In Brazilian Portuguese, tomar and beber both mean to drink, but tomar is very common, especially when talking about coffee, tea, or certain beverages. It can also mean to take (like taking medicine).

Could I say Eu quero beber café quente agora instead?

Yes, you could. It would still convey that you want to drink hot coffee now. However, tomar is more idiomatic for coffee in Brazil.

Why is there no article before café (like o café)?

In Portuguese, nouns can often be used without an article when referring to something more generally (e.g., coffee in general rather than a specific coffee). Saying o café wouldn’t be incorrect, but it might suggest a more specific cup of coffee.

Is café just coffee, or does it also mean breakfast?

Café on its own typically means coffee. However, café da manhã means breakfast. Brazilians sometimes shorten café da manhã to just café, but the meaning depends on context.

Why do we say quero instead of the infinitive form querer?

Quero is the first-person singular present tense form of querer. In Portuguese, you conjugate verbs to indicate who is performing the action and when. So eu quero literally means I want.

Why is agora placed at the end of the sentence?

In Portuguese, agora (now) can appear at different places in the sentence, but putting it at the end is very natural and emphasizes the immediacy of the action. You could also say Agora eu quero tomar café quente, but Eu quero tomar café quente agora is perfectly fine and idiomatic.