Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Nós queremos cumprir todas as regras do exame. - We want to follow all the rules of the exam.

In European Portuguese, subject pronouns (eu, tu, nós, etc.) are often omitted because the verb ending (-mos in queremos) already tells you it’s we.

You usually keep Nós when:

You want to emphasize we (e.g. Nós queremos, eles não querem – We want to, they don’t).
You need extra clarity in a longer or more complex sentence.

So:

Natural, neutral: Queremos cumprir todas as regras do exame.
Emphatic: Nós queremos cumprir todas as regras do exame.

What tense and person is queremos? How is it formed?

Queremos is:

verb: querer (to want)
tense: present indicative
person: 1st person plural (we)

Basic present-tense conjugation of querer in European Portuguese:

eu quero – I want
tu queres – you want (informal singular)
ele / ela quer – he / she wants
nós queremos – we want
vós quereis – you (plural, archaic/formal; not used in everyday modern PT-PT)
eles / elas querem – they want

So queremos is the regular 1st-person plural present form.

Why is the second verb cumprir in the infinitive and not conjugated?

In Portuguese, after querer (to want), the next verb stays in the infinitive (the basic "dictionary" form):

querer + infinitive

Examples:

Eu quero comer. – I want to eat.
Nós queremos sair. – We want to go out.
Nós queremos cumprir todas as regras do exame. – We want to follow all the exam rules.

So cumprir is not conjugated; queremos carries the tense and person, and cumprir just expresses the action.

What exactly does cumprir mean here, and how is it different from verbs like seguir or obedecer?

In this sentence, cumprir means to comply with / to observe / to abide by the rules.

Nuances:

cumprir regras
Focus on fulfilling or observing an obligation. Very natural with rules, promises, deadlines:
- cumprir as regras – comply with the rules
- cumprir um prazo – meet a deadline
- cumprir uma promessa – fulfill a promise
seguir regras
Literally "to follow rules". Also common, slightly more literal/physical image of "following", but often interchangeable with cumprir.
obedecer às regras
Literally "to obey the rules". Slightly stronger sense of authority or subordination.

In the exam context, cumprir as regras do exame is very standard and natural in European Portuguese.

Why is it todas as regras and not something like todas regras?

In Portuguese, when you say todas (all) before a specific plural noun, you normally need the definite article:

todas as regras – all the rules
todas as pessoas – all the people
todas as perguntas – all the questions

*todas regras is not correct in standard Portuguese.

Agreement rules in todas as regras:

todas – feminine plural (matches regras)
as – definite article, also feminine plural
regras – feminine plural noun

So: adjective (todas) + article (as) must agree in gender and number with the noun (regras).

What does do in regras do exame mean, and why is it used?

do is a contraction of the preposition de + the masculine singular article o:

de + o = do

So regras do exame literally means rules of the exam.

regras de (something) = rules of/about (something)
- regras do exame – rules of the exam
- regras do jogo – rules of the game
- regras da escola – rules of the school (de + a = da)

We use de here to show possession or association (the rules belong to / are part of the exam).

Could I say regras para o exame instead of regras do exame? Is there a difference?

You can say regras para o exame, but it has a slightly different nuance.

regras do exame
The official rules that are part of the exam (the exam’s own rules). This is the most natural in an official/test context.
regras para o exame
Rules for the exam in a looser sense – could be tips or guidelines meant to help with the exam, not necessarily the formal regulations.

So for official exam conditions, regras do exame is preferred and sounds more precise.

How would I say “We will follow all the exam rules” instead of “We want to follow…”?

To express future action (rather than desire), you have a few options in European Portuguese:

Simple future tense
- Cumpriremos todas as regras do exame.
  This is grammatically correct but can sound a bit formal or written.
Periphrastic future with ir (very common in speech)
- Vamos cumprir todas as regras do exame. – We’re going to follow all the exam rules.
Present with future meaning (in some contexts)
- Amanhã cumprimos todas as regras do exame. – Tomorrow we follow all the exam rules.

The original Nós queremos cumprir… expresses intention/wish, not simple future certainty.

Where would I put não if I want to say “We don’t want to follow all the exam rules”?

In Portuguese, não normally comes right before the conjugated verb:

Nós não queremos cumprir todas as regras do exame.
Or without the pronoun: Não queremos cumprir todas as regras do exame.

Structure:

não + queremos + cumprir + …

Can the word order change, for example: cumprir todas as regras do exame nós queremos?

In normal, neutral speech, you would not say:

✗ Cumprir todas as regras do exame nós queremos.

The standard order is:

(Nós) queremos cumprir todas as regras do exame.

Portuguese does allow some flexibility in word order for emphasis, but putting the subject at the end like that sounds unnatural in this simple sentence, especially in European Portuguese.

You can move todas sometimes:

Queremos cumprir todas as regras do exame. (neutral)
Queremos cumprir as regras todas do exame. (more emphatic: all of them, every single rule – this order is quite natural in Portugal for emphasis.)

But the basic Subject – Verb – (Infinitive) – Object order is what you should stick to here.

Is Nós queremos cumprir todas as regras do exame formal, informal, or neutral?

It’s neutral.

nós + present tense is appropriate both in informal and formal situations.
The vocabulary (querer, cumprir, regras, exame) is standard and not slangy or overly formal.

In a very formal written context, someone might prefer a more impersonal or duty-focused verb:

Devemos cumprir todas as regras do exame. – We must/should comply with all the exam rules.
É obrigatório cumprir todas as regras do exame. – It is mandatory to comply with all the exam rules.

But your original sentence is perfectly acceptable anywhere.

How would I say the same thing without focusing on “want”, more on obligation (like “We must follow all the exam rules”)?

To express obligation rather than desire, common options in European Portuguese are:

Temos de cumprir todas as regras do exame.
– We have to follow all the exam rules. (very common in speech)
Devemos cumprir todas as regras do exame.
– We must/should follow all the exam rules. (slightly more formal)
É obrigatório cumprir todas as regras do exame.
– It is obligatory to follow all the exam rules. (impersonal, formal)

These sound stronger and more duty-focused than Nós queremos cumprir….

How is this sentence pronounced in European Portuguese?

Approximate European Portuguese pronunciation (using rough English-style hints):

Nós – like nosh but shorter, nasal: nawsh
queremos – keh-RE-mush (final -os sounds like a weak “ush”)
cumprir – koon-PREER (with the r a guttural throat sound)
todas – TOH-dush
as – ush (very reduced)
regras – HEH-grush (initial r is a guttural h sound)
do – doo but short
exame – ee-ZAH-m(ɨ) (final -e is a very reduced vowel, like a quick “uh”)

Said quickly and naturally:

NÓSH keh-RE-mush koon-PREER TOH-dush ush HEH-grush doo ee-ZAH-m(ɨ).