Este trabalho precisa de força.

Both can be possible, but they are not exactly the same in traditional grammar.

• este = this, usually something close to the speaker
• esse = that, usually something close to the listener or something already mentioned

So Este trabalho precisa de força literally means This work/job requires strength.

In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, though, many speakers use esse much more often than este, even in situations where older grammar rules would prefer este. So in real life, you may hear both.

Trabalho can mean several related things:

• work
• job
• task
• piece of work
• assignment

In this sentence, it most naturally means work or task: something that has to be done and requires physical strength.

So depending on context, Este trabalho precisa de força could mean:

• This work requires strength
• This job needs strength
• This task takes strength

The verb precisar commonly means to need, and it is very often used with de before a noun:

• precisar de algo = to need something
• precisar de ajuda = to need help
• precisar de dinheiro = to need money

So:

• Este trabalho precisa de força = This work needs strength

This de is a normal part of the structure learners are usually taught.

In standard Portuguese, especially in teaching materials and careful writing, precisar de is the safe and recommended form before a noun:

• precisa de força

In colloquial Brazilian Portuguese, some speakers do sometimes omit de, but that is not the form most learners should aim for first.

So for learners, the best rule is:

• with a noun, use precisar de
• example: precisa de força, precisa de dinheiro, precisa de apoio

Because the subject is este trabalho, which is third person singular.

Conjugation of precisar in the present tense:

• eu preciso = I need
• você/ele/ela precisa = you/he/she needs
• nós precisamos = we need
• vocês/eles/elas precisam = you/they need

Since trabalho is singular, the verb must also be singular:

• Este trabalho precisa de força

If the subject were plural, it would change:

• Estes trabalhos precisam de força = These jobs/tasks need strength

Here força is being used as a general, uncountable idea: strength.

So Portuguese normally says:

• precisa de força = needs strength

This is similar to English, where we often do not use an article with abstract nouns:

• It takes strength
• It requires patience
• It needs skill

If you said de uma força, the meaning would change. It could sound like some force/strength or possibly suggest a different nuance. In Brazilian Portuguese, dar uma força is also an idiom meaning to give someone a hand / help out, so uma força can feel more specific than the general abstract noun força.

Sometimes, but not always.

Força can mean:

• strength
• physical force
• power
• effort
• energy, depending on context

In Este trabalho precisa de força, the most natural meaning is physical strength.

So even though força looks like force, the best English translation here is usually strength, not force.

It is most likely about physical strength, but context matters.

Without context, precisa de força usually suggests that the work is physically demanding. For example:

• carrying heavy boxes
• digging
• moving furniture

But Portuguese speakers can also use força more metaphorically for energy, stamina, or even inner strength, depending on the situation.

Still, the default interpretation here is probably physical strength.

Because demonstratives in Portuguese must agree with the noun’s gender.

• este = masculine singular
• esta = feminine singular
• estes = masculine plural
• estas = feminine plural

Since trabalho is a masculine noun, you need este:

• este trabalho

If the noun were feminine, you would use esta:

• esta tarefa = this task
• esta profissão = this profession

The normal, neutral word order is:

• Este trabalho precisa de força

That is the most natural version for most situations.

You might hear or read a different order for emphasis, style, or poetry, but Precisa de força este trabalho sounds marked and unusual in everyday speech. Learners should stick with the standard order:

• subject + verb + complement

A careful Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation would be roughly:

EH-stee trah-BAH-lyoo preh-SEE-zah jee FOR-sah

A few helpful notes:

• este: the final e is usually pronounced in Brazilian Portuguese
• trabalho: the lh sound is like the lli in million
• precisa: stress is on si
• de often sounds like jee in many Brazilian accents before certain sounds, though here it may be closer to a soft dji or di
• força: the ç sounds like s

This is only an approximation, but it can help an English speaker get started.

Yes. A few common alternatives are:

• Este trabalho requer força = This work requires strength
• Este trabalho exige força = This work demands strength
• Este trabalho necessita de força = This work requires/needs strength

These alternatives are often a bit more formal than precisa de.

• precisa de = common and natural
• requer = more formal
• exige = stronger, more demanding
• necessita de = formal or written style

You need to make both the demonstrative and the noun plural, and the verb must agree too:

• Este trabalho precisa de força = This job/task needs strength
• Estes trabalhos precisam de força = These jobs/tasks need strength

Changes:

• este → estes
• trabalho → trabalhos
• precisa → precisam

The phrase de força stays the same.