Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Procuro um canalizador que chegue cedo e traga peças. - I’m looking for a plumber who arrives early and brings parts.

Because the relative clause describes desired characteristics of an unknown/non-specific person. In Portuguese, when you’re looking for or wanting “a [person/thing] that …” (not a specific, known one), you use the present subjunctive: Procuro um canalizador que chegue cedo e traga peças. If you were talking about a specific, known plumber, you would normally use the indicative.

When would I use the indicative “chega” and “traz” instead?

Use the indicative when the antecedent is specific/known. For example: Procuro o canalizador que chega cedo e traz peças (“I’m looking for the plumber who arrives early and brings parts”)—you have a particular plumber in mind, and that’s established fact about him.

Can I say “Procuro por um canalizador” in Portugal?

In European Portuguese, no. Procurar takes a direct object: Procuro um canalizador. You can also say Estou à procura de um canalizador. The variant with por (e.g., “procurar por”) is common in Brazil but is avoided in standard European usage.

Is “canalizador” the usual word in Portugal? What about Brazil?

Yes, in Portugal canalizador is standard (you may also hear picheleiro). In Brazil, the usual word is encanador. Gender forms exist: um canalizador / uma canalizadora (though many speakers use the masculine as a generic in informal contexts).

Why not “que chegar cedo”? Doesn’t Portuguese have a future subjunctive?

Portuguese does have a future subjunctive (e.g., chegar), but it’s used with conjunctions like quando, se, quem, onde, etc.: Quem chegar cedo entra primeiro. After a simple relative que with an unknown antecedent, you use the present subjunctive. So here que chegue is correct; que chegar is wrong.

Could I say “que venha cedo” instead of “que chegue cedo”?

Yes. Vir and chegar are both idiomatic here. Vir focuses on coming to your location; chegar focuses on the moment of arrival. Either works: …que venha cedo e traga peças / …que chegue cedo e traga peças.

Do I need to repeat “que” before “traga”?

No. Both are correct: …que chegue cedo e traga peças and …que chegue cedo e que traga peças. Repeating que can add a bit of emphasis or clarity, but it’s optional.

Why is it “traga,” not the infinitive “trazer”?

This is a finite relative clause, so the verb must agree with the antecedent (um canalizador). An infinitive doesn’t fit that structure. Also note: Procuro um canalizador para trazer as peças is ambiguous in European Portuguese and tends to mean that the subject of “trazer” is the same as the main subject (“I’m looking for a plumber for me to bring the parts”). To make it clearly about the plumber with a purpose clause, use para que + subjunctive: …para que traga as peças. The relative clause …que traga as peças is the most natural.

What does “peças” mean here? Is it “pieces”?

Here peças means “parts” (replacement parts, fittings, components). Pedaços means “pieces” of a broken whole. A plumber brings peças, not pedaços.

Should it be “as peças” or “umas peças”? Why is there no article?

traga peças: general, indefinite “bring parts” (as needed). Zero article is normal for an indefinite plural in European Portuguese.
traga umas peças / algumas peças: explicitly “some parts,” slightly more specific.
traga as peças: “bring the parts” already known in context.

Choose based on how specific you want to be.

If I replace “peças” with a pronoun, where does it go?

In European Portuguese, in a finite subordinate clause introduced by que, you use proclisis (pronoun before the verb): …que as traga. Example: Procuro um canalizador que as traga. Enclisis (traga-as) is not used here in EP.

Is “cedo” the right word? How does it differ from “logo” or “em breve”?

cedo = “early” (relative to the usual/expected time): chegar cedo.
logo in Portugal often means “soon/right away/then” depending on context; it’s not the default for “early.”
em breve = “soon,” without implying “early in the day.” For arriving early, cedo is the natural choice.

Can “cedo” go before the verb?

Default is after the verb: chegue cedo. Fronting (cedo chegue) sounds marked or poetic; in everyday speech, keep cedo after the verb here.

How are “chegue” and “traga” formed?

They’re present subjunctive forms.

chegar → to keep the hard g before e/i, add u: chegue, chegues, chegue, cheguemos, chegueis, cheguem.
trazer is irregular: traga, tragas, traga, tragamos, tragais, tragam.

Any other PT–BR differences relevant here?

Grammar in this sentence aligns in both. Main differences are vocabulary and some constructions:

PT: canalizador/picheleiro; BR: encanador.
PT: Estou à procura de…; BR: Estou procurando…. Clitic placement after que is proclitic in both here (que as traga), so no conflict.

Do I need a comma before the relative clause?

No. It’s a restrictive relative clause (it defines the kind of plumber you want), so no comma. A comma would suggest non-restrictive information about a specific plumber, which doesn’t fit with um.

Is “Procuro…” the best way to say this? What about “Estou à procura de…” or “Quero…”?

All can work, with nuance:

Procuro um canalizador… neutral and concise; common in speech and ads.
Estou à procura de um canalizador… emphasizes an ongoing search; very common in Portugal.
Quero um canalizador… focuses on desire and can sound more demanding, not specifically about searching.