Eu quero registar a minha inscrição hoje.

Breakdown of Eu quero registar a minha inscrição hoje.

eu
I
hoje
today
minha
my
querer
to want
a inscrição
the registration
registar
to record
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Questions & Answers about Eu quero registar a minha inscrição hoje.

Can I drop Eu and just say Quero registar a minha inscrição hoje?

Yes. In Portuguese (especially European Portuguese), the subject pronoun is often dropped because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

  • Eu quero registar… = more explicit, can add emphasis or contrast (e.g. Eu quero registar, mas ele não quer).
  • Quero registar… = very natural, neutral way to say it in speech and writing.

Both are correct; in everyday conversation, you’d probably hear Quero registar a minha inscrição hoje more often.

Why do we say quero registar and not something like quero registando?

Portuguese does not use a continuous form (like English “want registering” or “want to be registering”) after querer.

The normal pattern is:

querer + infinitive

Examples:

  • Quero comer. – I want to eat.
  • Quero falar contigo. – I want to talk to you.
  • Quero registar a minha inscrição. – I want to register my registration.

Forms like quero registando are ungrammatical in this context. The infinitive registar is the only natural option here.

Could I say Eu registo a minha inscrição hoje instead of Eu quero registar a minha inscrição hoje?

You can, but it doesn’t mean the same thing.

  • Eu quero registar a minha inscrição hoje.
    = I want to register my registration today. (Expresses desire / intention.)

  • Eu registo a minha inscrição hoje.
    = I register my registration today.
    This sounds like:

    • a statement of fact about what you (regularly) do today, or
    • a kind of stage direction / schedule (“I register it today.”)

If you are talking about what you intend or plan to do, querer + infinitive is the natural choice.

What’s the difference between registar and inscrever(-se)? When should I use each?

Both relate to signing up / registering, but they’re used a bit differently.

  • inscrever-se = to sign oneself up, to enrol

    • Vou inscrever-me no curso. – I’m going to sign up for the course.
      Focus is on you becoming enrolled.
  • registar = to register something, to record officially

    • Quero registar a minha inscrição. – I want to register my registration.
      Focus is on recording / entering a registration, document, birth, complaint, etc.

Often in real life, people might just say:

  • Quero inscrever-me hoje. – I want to sign up today.
  • Quero fazer a minha inscrição hoje. – I want to do my registration today.

Your original sentence sounds like you already have an inscrição (e.g. a form) and want to submit/record it officially.

Why is it a minha inscrição and not just minha inscrição?

In European Portuguese, it’s normal to use the definite article with possessives:

  • a minha inscrição – my registration
  • o meu carro – my car
  • a tua casa – your house

Dropping the article (minha inscrição) is much more typical in Brazilian Portuguese. In Portugal, a minha inscrição is the standard, neutral form.

There are a few contexts where the article is often omitted in European Portuguese (e.g. with ser in some expressions: Sou teu amigo), but in your sentence the article a is exactly what you want.

Why is it minha and not meu inscrição?

Because possessive adjectives agree with the gender and number of the noun, not with the person who owns it.

  • inscrição is a feminine singular noun → a minha inscrição
  • If it were masculine, you’d use meu:
    • o meu passaporte – my passport (masc. sing.)
    • os meus passaportes – my passports (masc. plural)
    • as minhas inscrições – my registrations (fem. plural)

So:

  • a minha inscrição = my registration (one, feminine word)
  • as minhas inscrições = my registrations (plural)
How do I pronounce registar and inscrição in European Portuguese?

Very roughly (using English-like approximations):

  • registar:

    • re- = like “reh” but often quite reduced
    • -gis- = like “zhis” (the g before i is like the s in “measure”)
    • -tar = close to “tar”, with a tapped r at the end
      Together: [rə-zhis-TAR], with stress on the last syllable.
  • inscrição:

    • in- = like “een” but shorter/nasal
    • -scri- = “skree” but shorter, with a rolled/tapped r
    • -ção = nasal sound, a bit like “sown” but with nasal ã; written -ção, pronounced -são
      Together: [een-skree-SÃW̃], stress on the last syllable.

European Portuguese tends to reduce unstressed vowels and uses a noticeable nasal sound in -ção.

Where can hoje go in the sentence? Can I move it around?

Yes. Hoje (today) is flexible in position. All of these are possible:

  • Eu quero registar a minha inscrição hoje. (very natural)
  • Hoje quero registar a minha inscrição.
  • Eu quero hoje registar a minha inscrição. (also possible, sounds a bit more formal/emphatic)
  • Quero hoje registar a minha inscrição.

The most common everyday options are:

  • Hoje quero registar a minha inscrição.
  • Quero registar a minha inscrição hoje.
Could I say Eu quero registar-me hoje instead of Eu quero registar a minha inscrição hoje?

You can say Eu quero registar-me hoje, but it slightly changes the structure:

  • registar-me = to register myself (reflexive)

However, when talking about signing up for something, Portuguese more commonly uses inscrever-se or a phrase with inscrição:

  • Quero inscrever-me hoje. – I want to sign up today.
  • Quero fazer a minha inscrição hoje. – I want to do my registration today.

Registar-se does exist (e.g. to register on a website: Registe-se aqui – “Register here”), but for courses, exams, etc., inscrever-se / fazer a inscrição sound more natural in Portugal.

Why is it registar and not registrar?

This is a Portugal vs. Brazil spelling difference:

  • European Portuguese: registar, registo
  • Brazilian Portuguese: registrar, registro

Meaning is basically the same (“to register / record officially”), but in Portugal you should write and say registar (with g) and registo.

Is Eu quero… polite enough in Portuguese, or does it sound too direct?

Eu quero… is grammatically correct, but in many situations it can sound a bit direct or blunt, especially with strangers (e.g. in shops, offices, restaurants).

More polite/softened options in European Portuguese are:

  • Eu queria registar a minha inscrição hoje.
    (I’d like to register my registration today. – literally “I wanted…”, but used as a polite conditional.)
  • Eu gostava de registar a minha inscrição hoje.
    (I would like to register my registration today.)

In a formal or semi-formal context (office, university desk, etc.), you’re more likely to hear:

  • Eu queria registar a minha inscrição hoje, se possível.
  • Gostava de registar a minha inscrição hoje.

Among friends or when just stating your plan, Eu quero registar a minha inscrição hoje is perfectly fine.