Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Preciso do apontador para afiar o lápis. - I need the pencil sharpener to sharpen the pencil.

do is the contraction of de + o (of/from + the). It appears because the verb precisar (to need) is used with the preposition de: precisar de something. So Preciso do apontador = “I need the sharpener,” literally “I need of the sharpener.”

Why is it preciso de and not just preciso?

In European Portuguese, when precisar takes a noun or an infinitive, it requires de: precisar de. Examples: Preciso de um apontador. / Preciso de afiar o lápis. Omitting de here is considered incorrect in standard European Portuguese.

Could I say Preciso de um apontador instead of do apontador?

Yes. de um apontador means “a (non-specific) sharpener,” while do apontador means “the (specific) sharpener” that both speaker and listener can identify (e.g., the one on the desk).

Is Eu preciso… required, or can I drop eu?

You can drop it. Portuguese is a pro‑drop language, so Preciso… already implies eu. Use Eu preciso… for emphasis or clarity.

Why is it para afiar and not por afiar?

para + infinitive expresses purpose (“in order to”). por does not express purpose here. So para afiar o lápis = “in order to sharpen the pencil.”

Why use afiar if the device is called apontador? Can I say apontar o lápis?

Both are used in Portugal. afiar is the general verb “to sharpen,” and apontar (o lápis) is a traditional expression meaning “to sharpen (a pencil).” Your sentence with afiar is perfectly natural; apontar o lápis is also fine.

Do I have to include the article in afiar o lápis? Could I say afiar lápis?

In European Portuguese, definite articles are used more than in English. afiar o lápis (the pencil) is the normal phrasing if a specific pencil is meant. afiar um lápis is “sharpen a pencil” (non‑specific). Bare nouns without an article here (e.g., afiar lápis) are unusual in EP.

What gender and plural are apontador and lápis?

apontador: masculine; plural apontadores.
lápis: masculine; the plural form is identical to the singular: o lápis / os lápis.

What exactly is contracted in do, and what are the other forms?

do = de + o (masc. sing.)
da = de + a (fem. sing.)
dos = de + os (masc. pl.)
das = de + as (fem. pl.)
You must contract in writing: not de o, but do.

How would I pronounce the sentence in European Portuguese?

A rough guide:

Preciso ≈ pruh-SEE-zoo (with a light tapped r; the first e is reduced)
do ≈ doo
apontador ≈ uh-pon-tuh-DOHR (the o in pon is nasal: õ)
para ≈ PAH-ruh (often reduced)
afiar ≈ ah-fee-AR (final r very light)
o lápis ≈ oo LAH-peesh (final s like English “sh”)

Can I use a pronoun instead of repeating o lápis?

Yes. You can say Preciso do apontador para afiá-lo. When attaching o to an infinitive ending in -r, drop the -r and add a hyphen and -lo, with an acute accent: afiar → afiá-lo. (You’ll also hear para o afiar, which is acceptable in EP.)

Is apontador ever ambiguous?

In school/office contexts, apontador by itself means a pencil sharpener. To talk about a laser pointer, you specify apontador laser (or say ponteiro laser). If needed, you can clarify apontador de lápis.

Are there more polite or formal ways to phrase the need?

More formal: Necessito do apontador para afiar o lápis.
Polite request: Precisava do apontador, por favor. or Podias/podia dar‑me o apontador, por favor?

Is this different in Brazilian Portuguese?

The sentence is fine in Brazil too. Differences: Brazilians very often say apontar o lápis (besides afiar); they frequently use pra in speech for para; and with an infinitive many Brazilians accept preciso afiar (without de), whereas EP prefers preciso de afiar. With a noun, both varieties require de (hence do apontador).