Breakdown of Preciso de me despachar para não perder o autocarro.
precisar de
to need
não
not
para
in order to
o autocarro
the bus
perder
to miss
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Questions & Answers about Preciso de me despachar para não perder o autocarro.
What does Preciso de me despachar para não perder o autocarro mean in English?
It roughly translates to “I need to hurry up so I don’t miss the bus.” The sentence expresses the speaker’s need to quickly get going in order to catch the bus.
What role does the reflexive pronoun me play in the sentence?
The reflexive pronoun me indicates that the subject (I) is performing the action on themselves. In other words, despachar-se means to hurry oneself along—so the sentence emphasizes that the speaker is hurrying their own actions.
Why is the preposition de used before me despachar?
In Portuguese, when expressing a need with precisar, it is common to use the construction precisar de + infinitive. Here, de links the verb preciso to the action me despachar, much like saying “I need to…” in English.
What does the word autocarro mean?
Autocarro is the European Portuguese term for “bus.” In other varieties of Portuguese, such as Brazilian Portuguese, the equivalent term is ônibus.
Can the reflexive pronoun be placed differently, such as after the verb (e.g., despachar-me)?
Yes, both structures are acceptable in European Portuguese. You might also encounter “Preciso de despachar-me para não perder o autocarro.” While both placements are grammatically correct, me despachar is common in everyday speech.
What is the function of the phrase para não perder o autocarro in this sentence?
The phrase para não perder o autocarro explains the purpose or reason behind the action. It tells us why the speaker needs to hurry—so as to avoid missing the bus.