Breakdown of Eu preciso mudar o horário da aula de português.
eu
I
português
Portuguese
precisar
to need
de
of
mudar
to change
da
of the
o horário
the time
aula
class
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Questions & Answers about Eu preciso mudar o horário da aula de português.
Why do we say mudar instead of trocar here?
In Portuguese, mudar means “to change” or “to modify,” while trocar means “to exchange” or “to swap.” You mudar o horário when you alter the schedule itself. You would trocar de horário if you’re swapping one time slot for another (for example, switching your time with someone else’s). Since you’re simply adjusting the class time, mudar is more natural.
Why is there no de after preciso (i.e., why not preciso de mudar)?
In European Portuguese, precisar de + infinitive is common, but in Brazilian Portuguese you drop the de when precisar is followed by another verb. So in Brazil you say Eu preciso mudar, whereas Eu preciso de mudar sounds more formal or like European usage.
Can I omit the article and say Eu preciso mudar horário da aula de português?
No. In Portuguese we generally use definite articles with nouns like horário, so you need o horário. Omitting the article sounds unnatural. You can drop eu in casual speech (Preciso mudar o horário da aula de português), but keep the o before horário.
What does da stand for in horário da aula?
Da is the contraction of the preposition de (of) + the feminine singular definite article a (the). So horário da aula literally means “the schedule of the class.”
Why is português written in lowercase here?
In Portuguese orthography, names of languages are not capitalized. So you write aula de português, whereas in English we capitalize Portuguese.
Could I say Eu preciso alterar o horário da aula de português instead?
Yes. Alterar also means “to change” or “to modify.” It’s slightly more formal than mudar, but perfectly correct: Eu preciso alterar o horário da aula de português.
What’s the difference between ter que and precisar here (e.g., Eu tenho que mudar vs. Eu preciso mudar)?
Both express necessity:
- Eu tenho que mudar is more colloquial, literally “I have to change.”
- Eu preciso mudar is a bit more formal or direct, literally “I need to change.”
The meaning is essentially the same, though the tone can differ.
What’s the difference between horário, hora, and tempo?
- Horário: a schedule or timetable (the planned times for events).
- Hora: a specific hour on the clock (e.g., 3 o’clock) or a duration of 60 minutes.
- Tempo: time in general (e.g., “I don’t have time”) or weather (depending on context).
Here, since you’re talking about a class schedule, horário is the correct word.