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Eu vou te buscar na esquina.

Eu vou te buscar na esquina.
I will pick you up at the corner.
FromLesson 11inHardcore Portuguese (Brazil)

Questions & Answers about Eu vou te buscar na esquina.

What does the pronoun te mean here, and can I use it if I normally say você?
Te is the unstressed object pronoun meaning you (singular). It traditionally pairs with tu, but in Brazil it’s very common to mix você (as the subject form) with te (as the object), especially in speech. If you want to avoid that mix, use vou buscar você instead of vou te buscar.
Which is more natural in Brazil: vou te buscar or vou buscar você?
Both are fine. Vou te buscar is extremely common in everyday speech across Brazil. Vou buscar você is also common and feels a bit more neutral/formal and regionally uniform. In European Portuguese, vou buscar-te is preferred.
Why is the pronoun placed between vou and buscar?

In Brazilian Portuguese, clitic pronouns often come before the main verb. With an auxiliary + infinitive, you can put the pronoun:

  • before the infinitive: vou te buscar (most common in Brazil)
  • attached to the infinitive: vou buscar-te (more formal/European)
Is Eu te vou buscar correct?
It’s not natural in Brazilian Portuguese. In Portugal, it may occur but is still less common than Vou buscar-te.
Could I use the simple future, like buscarei?
You could, but it sounds formal or written. In speech, Brazilians prefer vou te buscar (going to) or even present for arrangements: Te busco às 5. Forms like te buscarei are rare in conversation.
Can I drop the subject Eu?
Yes. Portuguese often drops subject pronouns when the verb form makes the subject clear. Vou te buscar na esquina is perfectly natural.
Why is it na esquina and not à esquina?
Na = em + a and expresses location: na esquina = at/on the corner. À (with crase) often marks motion toward a place: Vou à esquina = I’m going to the corner. Your sentence talks about the pickup location, so na esquina is right.
How do I specify which corner?

Use na esquina de/da and com:

  • na esquina da Rua A com a Rua B
  • na esquina da sua casa
  • na esquina em frente à padaria
Does esquina only mean a street corner?
Yes, esquina is a street corner. For a corner inside a room, use canto. For the outer edge/corner of an object (like a table), use quina.
Is buscar different from pegar and procurar?
  • Buscar = pick up/fetch (go somewhere and bring someone/something back). Safest neutral choice here.
  • Pegar can mean pick up, but te pego can also mean “I’ll get you” (threat) or have sexual/flirtatious undertones in some contexts.
  • Procurar = look for/search, not necessarily pick up. Vou te procurar = I’ll look for you.
How do I make this more formal/polite (e.g., with o senhor/a senhora)?

Use either a title or formal object pronouns:

Can I use lhe here (e.g., Vou lhe buscar)?
Avoid that in Brazil. Lhe is (standardly) an indirect object pronoun (to/for you/him/her). For a direct object “you,” say vou te buscar or vou buscar você. Some regions use lhe as a direct object in speech, but it’s not standard.
How do I make it negative or turn it into a question?
How do I say “you guys” or plural “you”?

Use vocês: Eu vou buscar vocês na esquina.
In European Portuguese, vou buscar-vos is common, but vos is rare in Brazil.

What time nuance does vou te buscar have?
It corresponds to English “I’m going to pick you up,” usually implying a planned or near-future action. If you add a time, it becomes explicit: Vou te buscar às cinco.
Any pronunciation tips?
  • vou ≈ “voh”
  • te often sounds like “chee” in much of Brazil (the vowel reduces and the t palatalizes): vou tchi buscar
  • buscar: stress on the last syllable, bus-CAR; final r often like an English “h” in Brazil
  • esquina: es-KEE-na. In fast speech, na esquina can blend and sound like “nasquina.”
Do I need any special spelling when attaching pronouns?

Yes, with enclisis to infinitives/gerunds, use a hyphen and often an accent to keep the original stress:

  • Vou buscá-lo na esquina.
  • Past spelling note: buscar becomes busquei in the preterite first person (to keep the “k” sound).
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