Questions & Answers about Eles querem partir cedo.
In this context, partir means “to leave” or “to depart” (e.g. starting a journey). It can also mean:
- “to break” or “to split” (partir um pedaço de bolo – to cut/break off a slice of cake)
- “to divide” (partir ao meio – to split in half)
When querer is followed by an infinitive expressing the subject’s own desire, you use the infinitive directly:
• Eles querem partir cedo. (They want to leave early.)
You only use que + subjunctive with querer when you want someone else to do something:
• Eu quero que eles partam cedo. (I want them to leave early.)
Phonetic approximations (IPA) for European Portuguese:
• partir: /pɐʁˈtiɾ/ or /pɐɾˈtiɾ/
• cedo: /ˈseðu/
Tips:
- The first “r” in partir is either a tap [ɾ] or a uvular [ʁ].
- c before e/i is [s].
- d before o is [ð] (like the “th” in English “this”).
Both verbs can mean “to leave,” but:
- sair focuses on exiting (sair de casa – to go out of the house).
- partir implies departing on a trip or journey (partir de Lisboa – to depart from Lisbon).
In everyday speech, “Eles querem sair cedo” is more colloquial; “Eles querem partir cedo” sounds slightly more formal or travel-oriented.
Adverbs of time (like cedo) usually follow the verb they modify in Portuguese:
• Eles querem partir cedo.
You can put cedo before the verb for emphasis, but it sounds marked or poetic:
• Eles cedo querem partir.
Yes. Portuguese verb endings indicate person and number, so you can simply say:
• Querem partir cedo.
The subject “they” is clear from querem, though adding eles can improve clarity or emphasis.
Two common choices:
• Pretérito Perfeito: Eles quiseram partir cedo. (They wanted [and did] leave early.)
• Pretérito Imperfeito: Eles queriam partir cedo. (They wanted to leave early [habitually or over a period].)