Nós precisamos fazer sempre o melhor para melhorar.

We need to always do our best to improve.

Breakdown of Nós precisamos fazer sempre o melhor para melhorar.

• o: the
• para: to
• melhorar: to improve
• precisar: to need
• nós: we
• sempre: always
• fazer: to do
• melhor: best

Questions & Answers about Nós precisamos fazer sempre o melhor para melhorar.

Why do we say precisamos (first-person plural) instead of something else?

In Portuguese, precisamos is the nós (we) form of the verb precisar (to need). Saying nós precisamos emphasizes that the action applies to “us” collectively. If you want to say it in the first-person singular (“I need”), you use eu preciso, and for the third-person singular (“he/she needs”), you use ele/ela precisa.

Why is sempre placed after fazer and before o melhor in this sentence?

Adverbs like sempre (always) can be somewhat flexible in Portuguese word order, but placing sempre between fazer and o melhor emphasizes that you should consistently or habitually do your best. You might see variations in placement, but fazer sempre o melhor flows naturally with typical Brazilian Portuguese usage.

What does o melhor mean in this context, and why is the article o used?

In this sentence, o melhor means the best. Portuguese often requires a definite article (o/a) before superlatives or nouns used in a superlative sense. Here, o indicates that you’re referring not just to something better, but specifically to the best possible effort or action.

Is melhor an adjective or an adverb here?

In o melhor, melhor is functioning as a noun phrase (literally "the best"), derived from the adjective melhor. When used after fazer, it acts like saying “to do the best” in English. If you see melhor used in a sentence like “Ele correu melhor hoje” (He ran better today), then it’s an adverb describing “ran.”

Why is para melhorar in the infinitive and what does it express?

Para melhorar uses the infinitive of melhorar (to improve) because it indicates the purpose or reason. The preposition para plus the infinitive often translates to “in order to” or “to” in English. So, para melhorar means “in order to improve.”

Could we say Nós precisamos sempre fazer o melhor para melhorar?

Yes, Portuguese word order can often be flexible. Nós precisamos fazer sempre o melhor and Nós precisamos sempre fazer o melhor both convey the same core meaning, though the original sentence Nós precisamos fazer sempre o melhor para melhorar is very common and maintains a natural flow.