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Eu quero estudar português esta noite.

Eu quero estudar português esta noite.
I want to study Portuguese tonight.
FromLesson 9inHardcore Portuguese (Brazil)

Breakdown of Eu quero estudar português esta noite.

eu
I
querer
to want
português
Portuguese
estudar
to study
esta noite
tonight

Questions & Answers about Eu quero estudar português esta noite.

Why do we include Eu at the beginning? Is it necessary?
Portuguese is a pro-drop language, so you can usually omit the subject pronoun. Saying Quero estudar português esta noite is perfectly correct and very common in speech. You include Eu when you want extra emphasis or clarity—especially in writing or if the context doesn’t make who’s doing the action clear.
What is quero here? How do we conjugate querer in the present tense?

Quero is the first-person singular present indicative of querer (“to want”). The present-tense conjugation is:
• eu quero
• tu queres
• ele/ela quer
• nós queremos
• vós quereis
• eles/elas querem
Use quero whenever you say “I want.”

Why is estudar in the infinitive form instead of a conjugated form?
After modal verbs like querer, poder, gostar, etc., the next verb stays in the infinitive. So you say querer + estudar (“to want to study”), not “quero estudo” or any other form.
Should I put an article before português, like o português or um português?
In Brazilian Portuguese, languages following verbs of learning (estudar, aprender, falar…) typically drop the article: estudar português. You might hear estudar o português in more formal contexts or to be extra specific, but it’s optional and doesn’t change the core meaning.
Why is português capitalized?

In Portuguese, names of languages, nationalities and countries are capitalized just like in English. So the language name Português always takes a capital P.

(Note: When português is used as an adjective—e.g. literatura portuguesa—it’s lowercase.)

Why do we say esta noite instead of esta a noite or esta à noite?

When you use a demonstrative adjective (esta) directly with a noun (noite), you don’t need the article. Correct is esta noite = “this night/tonight.”
The form esta à noite would imply esta a a noite, which is ungrammatical. The common phrase hoje à noite comes from hoje + a + a noite, which contracts to hoje à noite (“today at night”).

Can I use hoje à noite instead? Are esta noite and hoje à noite the same?

Yes, both mean “tonight.”
• Esta noite = “this night”
• Hoje à noite = “today at night” (very common in Brazil)
Hoje à noite is perhaps more idiomatic in everyday speech, but esta noite is equally correct.

How do you pronounce noite and português, and where do I put the stress?

• Noite is pronounced [ˈnoj.t͡ʃi], with the stress on the first syllable: NOI-te.
• Português is [poʁ.tu.ˈɡes], with the stress on the last syllable: por-tu-GUÊS.
The circumflex on ê marks a closed-mid vowel ([e]) and indicates that syllable is stressed.

What’s the difference between querer and gostar de? Could I say Eu gosto de estudar português esta noite?
  • Querer = “to want,” expressing desire or intention: Eu quero estudar… = “I want to study…”
  • Gostar de = “to like (doing something),” expressing enjoyment or preference: Eu gosto de estudar… = “I like studying…”
    Saying Eu gosto de estudar português esta noite means “I enjoy studying Portuguese tonight,” but it doesn’t convey that you actually plan or intend to do it—it just states your enjoyment.

More from this lesson

terminara tarefaa reuniãoEu preciso terminar a tarefa antes da reunião.teEu te ajudo a estudar português.avisarQuando eu terminar a tarefa, eu vou te avisar.
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