Breakdown of Preciso de escutar atentamente quando a professora fala.
eu
I
precisar de
to need
quando
when
falar
to speak
a professora
the teacher
atentamente
carefully
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Questions & Answers about Preciso de escutar atentamente quando a professora fala.
Why is there a de after preciso in preciso de escutar? In English we say “I need to listen,” without a “de.”
In European Portuguese the verb precisar normally requires the preposition de before whatever you need—nouns or even infinitives. So you say preciso de escutar. In Brazilian Portuguese it’s common to drop the de (“preciso escutar”), but in Portugal the version with de is standard.
What’s the difference between escutar and ouvir? Aren’t they both “to listen”?
Ouvir literally means “to hear,” i.e. receive sounds passively. Escutar means “to listen,” i.e. pay attention actively. When you want to stress that you’re concentrating on what’s being said, escutar is the more precise choice (hence escutar atentamente). That said, many speakers use ouvir loosely in everyday speech for both senses.
How is the adverb atentamente formed, and could I say escutar com atenção instead?
Atentamente is formed by adding the suffix -mente to the adjective atento, giving “attentively” or “carefully.” Yes—you can also say escutar com atenção (“to listen with attention”), which is perfectly equivalent.
Why do I need a before professora? In English we’d say “when teacher speaks” or “when the teacher speaks.”
Portuguese typically uses the definite article before singular, specific roles or professions. So you must say a professora (“the teacher”). Omitting the article (professora fala) would be ungrammatical in European Portuguese.
Shouldn’t it be “my teacher” instead of “the teacher”? How do I say “my teacher”?
If you mean your own teacher, you add the possessive pronoun, but keep the article: a minha professora. So you’d say preciso de escutar atentamente quando a minha professora fala.
Why isn’t there a subject pronoun like ela (“she”)? Wouldn’t “quando ela fala” be more literal?
Portuguese is a pro-drop language: subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb ending already shows person and number. Quando a professora fala is clear enough. You could say quando ela fala for emphasis, but it sounds redundant.
Can I use the progressive form—like “when the teacher is speaking”—in European Portuguese?
Yes. In Portugal the present continuous is formed with estar a + infinitive. So you can say quando a professora está a falar, which stresses that the action is ongoing at that moment.
Is it possible to change the word order, for example putting the time clause first?
Absolutely. Portuguese word order is flexible. You can start with the subordinate clause and write:
Quando a professora fala, preciso de escutar atentamente.
Just remember to use a comma when the sentence begins with the “quando” clause.