Questions & Answers about Eu quero dizer algo.
In Portuguese, the subject pronoun is often optional because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.
- Eu quero dizer algo. = I want to say something.
- Quero dizer algo. = I want to say something. (also correct and very natural)
Both are correct.
Using Eu can add a bit of emphasis on I (like “I want to say something”), or can be used to avoid ambiguity in longer contexts. In a short sentence like this, Eu is not required.
Because the meanings are different:
- Eu quero dizer algo. = I want to say something. (expresses a desire or intention)
- Eu digo algo. = I say something. (a simple statement of fact in the present; sounds odd on its own)
Quero + infinitive (e.g. quero dizer, quero comer) means want to do something.
If you just say Eu digo algo, it sounds like a description of a habit or a current action, not a request to speak.
In a real situation where you want to interrupt or get permission to speak, you would typically say:
- Quero dizer uma coisa.
- Eu queria dizer uma coisa. (more polite/softened: “I wanted to say something.”)
Quero is the first person singular (I) of querer in the present tense.
Present tense of querer:
- eu quero – I want
- você / ele / ela quer – you (sg.) / he / she wants
- nós queremos – we want
- vocês / eles / elas querem – you (pl.) / they want
So in Eu quero dizer algo, quero matches eu.
Both are possible, but there are nuances:
- dizer = to say, to tell (focus on the content of what is said)
- falar = to speak, to talk (focus more on the act of speaking)
In this kind of sentence, Brazilians very often say:
- Quero falar uma coisa.
- Quero te dizer uma coisa.
Eu quero dizer algo is correct and clear, but in everyday Brazilian Portuguese it sounds a bit more neutral/formal than falar uma coisa or dizer uma coisa. For a casual context, falar uma coisa is extremely common.
Yes, in some contexts.
The verb phrase querer dizer on its own often means “to mean”:
- O que isso quer dizer? = What does that mean?
And speakers sometimes use it to correct or clarify themselves, similar to English “I mean…”:
- Não é isso que eu quis dizer… = That’s not what I meant…
- Quer dizer… eu não posso ir. = I mean… I can’t go.
However, Eu quero dizer algo by itself is usually understood literally as “I want to say something” (a desire to speak), not as the filler “I mean…”. For the filler, they more often just say quer dizer… in the middle of a sentence.
Algo means “something” in an indefinite way. It behaves like an invariable pronoun: it doesn’t change for masculine/feminine or singular/plural.
- algo interessante – something interesting
- algo estranho – something strange
The adjective that follows algo is usually in the masculine singular form (interessante, estranho, etc.).
All three can translate as “something,” but with different common uses and levels of formality:
algo – a bit more neutral/formal, more common in writing or careful speech.
- Eu quero dizer algo. (neutral, slightly bookish in everyday talk)
alguma coisa – very common, everyday spoken Portuguese.
- Quero dizer alguma coisa. (very natural)
uma coisa – literally “a thing”, but often used like “something” in speech.
- Quero dizer uma coisa. (extremely common and natural)
In typical Brazilian conversation, alguma coisa and uma coisa are more frequent than algo.
No, Brazilian Portuguese r is quite different from English r, and it changes with position:
quero – /ˈkɛ.ɾu/
- The r between vowels is a flap, like a quick “tt” in American “better”.
dizer – /dʒiˈzeɾ/ (most Brazilian accents)
- Final r is often a soft, almost h-like sound or slightly rolled, depending on the region.
algo – /ˈaw.gu/
- Here there is no r; just note the lh / ʎ/ sound appears in other words, not here.
Also:
- Eu is typically /ew/, something like “eh-oo” gliding together.
No preposition is needed here. The pattern is:
- querer + infinitive (no preposition)
So:
- Eu quero dizer algo. ✅
- Eu quero de dizer algo. ❌ (incorrect)
In other structures, dizer can take prepositions, for example:
- dizer algo a alguém – to say something to someone
- dizer algo sobre… – to say something about…
But after querer, you go straight to the infinitive: querer dizer, querer comer, querer falar, etc.
You’d usually say:
- Eu não quero dizer nada.
= I don’t want to say anything.
Note the change from algo (something) to nada (nothing/anything in negative sentences). In Portuguese, nada is commonly used with não:
- Eu não quero dizer nada. (literally “I don’t want to say nothing” – but this is standard and correct in Portuguese.)
It’s not impolite, but it can sound a bit direct. For something softer or more polite, Brazilians often use:
- Eu queria dizer uma coisa. (Imperfect tense softens it: “I wanted to say something.”)
- Eu gostaria de dizer algo. (More formal/courteous: “I would like to say something.”)
These are very common when you’re interrupting, speaking in a meeting, or addressing a group.
Several natural options in Brazilian Portuguese:
- Eu quero dizer algo para você.
- Quero dizer uma coisa pra você. (very common and colloquial)
- Quero te dizer uma coisa. (using the pronoun te = to you, informal)
More formal / written:
- Eu quero dizer-lhe algo. (using lhe – rare in everyday Brazilian speech, more in writing or very formal contexts)
All of these keep the same core structure: querer + dizer + (object) + (to someone).