Breakdown of Eu quero testar a impressora agora.
eu
I
querer
to want
agora
now
a impressora
the printer
testar
to test
Questions & Answers about Eu quero testar a impressora agora.
Can we drop the subject pronoun Eu in this sentence?
Yes. European Portuguese is a “pro-drop” language, which means you can omit subject pronouns when the verb ending already makes the person clear. So Quero testar a impressora agora is perfectly natural.
Why is quero used instead of the infinitive querer?
In Portuguese you must conjugate verbs to match the subject. The infinitive querer (to want) becomes quero in the first-person singular present tense. Hence Eu quero means “I want.”
Why is testar in the infinitive form here? Why not a gerund like testando?
After verbs of desire or ability (like querer, poder, dever), Portuguese normally uses the bare infinitive of the following verb. You say quero testar (“I want to test”) rather than quero testando or estou testando (which would mean “I am testing”).
Why is there no preposition before testar?
Testar is a transitive verb in Portuguese, so it takes a direct object without any preposition. You simply say testar a impressora (“to test the printer”).
Why do we use a before impressora?
Portuguese nouns are accompanied by definite articles when referring to specific items. Impressora is a feminine noun, so the correct article is the feminine singular a. Together, a impressora means “the printer.”
Could we use o impressor or change the article to o?
No. The noun impressora is always feminine in Portuguese (it ends in ‑ora). The masculine form impressor exists but refers to a person who prints artwork or textiles, not the machine. Always use a impressora for the device.
Where can agora be placed, and does its position affect the meaning?
Time adverbs like agora are quite flexible. You can say:
- Eu quero testar a impressora agora. (neutral)
- Agora eu quero testar a impressora. (puts more emphasis on “now”)
- Eu quero agora testar a impressora. (less common, slightly awkward)
Most native speakers prefer the first two options.
What’s the difference between testar and imprimir in this context?
- Testar a impressora means to check if the printer works properly (often by printing a test page).
- Imprimir simply means to print a document or file.
So if your goal is functional testing, you test; if you want to produce a final printout, you print.
Why not use tentar instead of testar?
Tentar means “to try” in a general sense (e.g., tentar correr = “to try to run”). Testar specifically means “to test” or “to check the functionality” of something. They’re not interchangeable here: you want to test the printer, not merely try it.
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