Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Eu quero trabalhar no estrangeiro um dia.

Using Eu adds a bit of emphasis on I (for contrast, or when introducing yourself), but in neutral conversation it’s very common simply to say Quero....

Why is it quero trabalhar and not quero de trabalhar?

The verb querer is followed directly by an infinitive, with no preposition:

✅ quero trabalhar (I want to work)
❌ quero de trabalhar (incorrect)

Some other verbs do require a preposition before an infinitive:

gostar de: gosto de trabalhar
começar a: começo a trabalhar

But querer does not take de or a before another verb in the infinitive.

What exactly does no mean in no estrangeiro?

No is a contraction of em + o:

em = in / on / at
o = the (masculine singular)

So:

em + o estrangeiro → no estrangeiro = in the foreign [place] → abroad

You must contract them in normal speech and writing: no, not em o.
Similarly:

em + a → na (feminine)
em + os → nos
em + as → nas

Why is it no estrangeiro and not em estrangeiro?

In Portuguese, estrangeiro in this sense is a noun (“the foreign [world]”), and nouns usually need an article (o, a, etc.).

So you say:

no estrangeiro = em + o estrangeiro → in the abroad → abroad

em estrangeiro without the article sounds wrong here. When you talk about the concept “abroad”, you almost always say no estrangeiro.

What’s the difference between estrangeiro, exterior, and just saying noutro país?

All are possible but with slightly different flavours:

no estrangeiro – the most common and natural way to say abroad in European Portuguese.
no exterior – also abroad, a bit more formal or used in official contexts (news, government, business).
noutro país (em + outro país) – in another country; more literal and concrete.

In everyday speech in Portugal, no estrangeiro is the default.

Does estrangeiro mean “foreigner” or “abroad”?

It can mean both, depending on how it’s used:

As a noun (person):
- um estrangeiro = a foreigner (male)
- uma estrangeira = a foreigner (female)
- Os estrangeiros são bem-vindos. = Foreigners are welcome.
As a noun (place/concept):
- no estrangeiro = abroad
As an adjective (foreign):
- um carro estrangeiro = a foreign car
- literatura estrangeira = foreign literature

In no estrangeiro, it’s being used as a noun meaning the foreign world / abroad.

Why is it um dia at the end? Can I move um dia earlier in the sentence?

Yes, you can move um dia, and the meaning stays essentially the same. All of these are possible:

Eu quero trabalhar no estrangeiro um dia.
Eu quero um dia trabalhar no estrangeiro.
Um dia, eu quero trabalhar no estrangeiro.

Differences:

at the end (...no estrangeiro um dia) – very neutral.
in the middle (quero um dia trabalhar...) – slightly more emphasis on “someday (at some point in the future)”.
at the beginning (Um dia, eu quero...) – stylistically a bit more dramatic or story-like, but still natural.

Is um dia the same as “someday”? Are there other ways to say that?

Um dia here means “someday / one day (in the future)”. Other common options:

algum dia – also “someday”, a bit more indefinite.
um dia destes – “one of these days / sometime soon”.
no futuro – “in the future” (more formal / abstract).

Your sentence with all of these:

Eu quero trabalhar no estrangeiro um dia.
Eu quero trabalhar no estrangeiro algum dia.
Eu quero trabalhar no estrangeiro um dia destes.
Eu quero trabalhar no estrangeiro no futuro.

The original um dia is very natural and common.

Could I say Eu queria trabalhar no estrangeiro um dia instead of Eu quero?

You can, but there’s a nuance.

Eu quero trabalhar... – straightforward, direct: I want to work... (neutral, not rude in Portuguese).
Eu queria trabalhar... – literally I wanted to work..., often used:
- to sound softer / more tentative
- to talk about a more hypothetical wish

So:

In a casual conversation about life goals, Eu quero trabalhar no estrangeiro um dia is perfectly fine.
If you want to sound a bit more tentative, you can use Eu queria....

How would I say “I would like to work abroad one day” politely in Portuguese (Portugal)?

Two common, polite options:

Gostava de trabalhar no estrangeiro um dia.
Eu gostaria de trabalhar no estrangeiro um dia. (more formal / careful)

Notes:

gostar de + infinitive: gostava de trabalhar
European Portuguese often uses gostava de (imperfect) as a polite “would like”.

Why is the verb in the present (quero) if I’m talking about the future?

Portuguese often uses the present tense to talk about current desires or plans about the future:

Eu quero trabalhar no estrangeiro um dia.
= Right now, this is my wish for the future.

You could use the future tense:

Eu trabalharei no estrangeiro um dia.

But trabalharei sounds more like a confident prediction or promise: I will work abroad one day, rather than just expressing a desire. For “I want to work… someday”, quero + infinitive is the natural choice.

Why is it no estrangeiro (masculine) and not na estrangeira?

Because the noun estrangeiro (in the sense of “abroad”) is masculine in Portuguese:

o estrangeiro → no estrangeiro = abroad
masculine article o is used, so the contraction is em + o = no

Estrangeira (feminine) exists, but it’s typically:

a female foreigner (uma estrangeira)
the feminine form of the adjective (uma empresa estrangeira = a foreign company)

For the place/concept “abroad”, you always say o estrangeiro → no estrangeiro.