Breakdown of Precisamos de separar o lixo para reciclar melhor.
nós
we
precisar de
to need
para
to
melhor
better
reciclar
to recycle
separar
to separate
o lixo
the trash
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Questions & Answers about Precisamos de separar o lixo para reciclar melhor.
Why do we say Precisamos de separar o lixo instead of Precisamos separar o lixo?
In European Portuguese, when precisar is followed by another verb, you must include the preposition de. The structure is precisar de + infinitive (“to need to [do something]”). Omitting de would sound unnatural in Portugal. In Brazilian Portuguese, dropping de is more common, but in Portugal you keep it.
Why is there an o before lixo? Is this always required?
Portuguese frequently uses definite articles before abstract or general nouns. Lixo is masculine, so o lixo means “the garbage” in a general sense. Including o is the norm when talking about waste collectively. Saying separar lixo without the article would sound odd in everyday speech.
What does para reciclar melhor express?
Here para + infinitive conveys purpose, equivalent to “in order to.” So para reciclar melhor means “in order to recycle better.” It explains why we separate the garbage.
What role does melhor play in this sentence?
Melhor is an adverb modifying the verb reciclar. It means “better.” In Portuguese, adverbs typically follow the infinitive, so reciclar melhor = “to recycle better.”
Could we instead say para melhor reciclar?
Yes, but that word order is more formal or literary. Placing melhor before the infinitive is grammatically correct, yet in everyday European Portuguese people overwhelmingly prefer para reciclar melhor.
Are there differences between European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese for this sentence?
Yes. In European Portuguese you almost always use precisar de + infinitive. In Brazilian Portuguese speakers frequently omit de, saying Precisamos separar o lixo para reciclar melhor. Both variants are understood on either side of the Atlantic, but the de marks European usage here.
How do you pronounce the final r in separar in European Portuguese?
In European Portuguese the final r is an alveolar tap [ɾ], similar to the single r in Spanish. It’s a quick, light tap of the tongue against the ridge behind the teeth. This contrasts with Brazilian Portuguese, where the final r often sounds more like an h or a guttural fricative.
Can we use temos de instead of precisamos de here?
Absolutely. Temos de separar o lixo para reciclar melhor is also correct and idiomatic in European Portuguese. Temos de means “we have to,” and it expresses necessity just like precisamos de.