Question 1

What does partir mean in “Eles querem partir cedo” and what are other possible meanings of partir?

Accepted Answer

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)

Question 2

Why is there no que between querem and partir?

Accepted Answer

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.)

Question 3

What tense, person, and number is querem?

Accepted Answer

querem is the third person plural of querer in the present indicative, corresponding to “they want” in English.

Question 4

How do you pronounce partir and cedo in European Portuguese?

Accepted Answer

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”).

Question 5

What is the difference between using partir and sair here?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 6

Why is cedo placed after partir?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 7

Can you omit the subject pronoun eles here?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 8

How would you change the sentence to past tense to say “They wanted to leave early”?

Accepted Answer

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].)

Eles querem partir cedo.

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