O governo quer reduzir o imposto no próximo ano.

The government wants to reduce the tax next year.

Breakdown of O governo quer reduzir o imposto no próximo ano.

• querer: to want
• em: in
• próximo: next
• o ano: the year
• reduzir: to reduce
• o governo: the government
• o imposto: the tax

Questions & Answers about O governo quer reduzir o imposto no próximo ano.

Why do we say O governo and not just Governo? Is the article o necessary?

In Portuguese, we normally use the definite article with nouns like governo:

• O governo = the government
• Governo alone would sound like a title, a label, or headline style (e.g. on a poster, in a news headline).

So in a normal sentence, O governo quer... is the natural, correct form. Dropping the article is not standard in full sentences in European Portuguese.

What tense and person is quer, and how is querer conjugated here?

Quer is:

• verb: querer (to want)
• tense: present indicative
• person: 3rd person singular (he/she/it wants; the government wants)

Full present indicative of querer:

• eu quero
• tu queres
• ele/ela/você quer
• nós queremos
• vocês/eles/elas querem

So O governo quer... = The government wants...

Why is reduzir in the infinitive? Why not something like reduz?

Whenever you have a verb like querer, poder, precisar, conseguir, etc., followed by another verb, that second verb normally stays in the infinitive:

• quer reduzir = wants to reduce
• pode reduzir = can reduce
• precisa reduzir = needs to reduce

So you say:

• O governo quer reduzir o imposto.
  not
• O governo quer reduz o imposto. ❌

Reduz is also a valid form (3rd person singular of reduzir), but you’d use it as the main verb, without quer:

• O governo reduz o imposto. = The government reduces the tax. (statement of fact, no “wants”)

Do I need a preposition between quer and reduzir, like quer de reduzir or quer a reduzir?

No. Querer is used directly with the infinitive, with no preposition:

• quer reduzir ✅
• quer de reduzir ❌
• quer a reduzir ❌

Some other verbs do take a preposition:

• começar a trabalhar (to start working)
• gostar de trabalhar (to like working)

But querer does not; it goes straight into the infinitive.

What exactly does imposto mean here, and why is it singular?

Imposto is a masculine noun meaning tax. In this sentence, singular o imposto is being used in a general sense, similar to English the tax rate or just tax as a system.

• O governo quer reduzir o imposto.
  → The government wants to reduce tax / the tax rate / (a specific) tax.

If you want to say taxes in general (as different types of taxes), you use the plural:

• O governo quer reduzir os impostos.
  → The government wants to reduce taxes.

Is imposto always “tax”? I’ve seen impor meaning “to impose”.

Imposto can be:

1. A noun: o imposto = tax
2. A past participle of impor (to impose): imposto = imposed

In your sentence, it’s clearly the noun tax because it takes an article (o) and fits the context of government policy.

Examples:

• O imposto sobre o rendimento = income tax
• Foi imposto um novo regulamento. = A new regulation was imposed.

What does no mean in no próximo ano? Why isn’t it em o próximo ano?

No is a contraction of:

• em (in/on/at) + o (the, masculine singular)

So:

• em + o = no
• no próximo ano = in the next year / next year

In Portuguese, these contractions are obligatory in normal speech and writing:

• em + a = na
• em + os = nos
• em + as = nas

So em o próximo ano is grammatically incorrect in standard Portuguese; you must say no próximo ano.

Can I move no próximo ano to the beginning of the sentence?

Yes. Word order is fairly flexible with time expressions. Both are correct:

• O governo quer reduzir o imposto no próximo ano.
• No próximo ano, o governo quer reduzir o imposto.

Putting no próximo ano first just emphasizes the time a bit more, like “Next year, the government wants to…”

Does no próximo ano always mean “next year”? Are there other common ways to say “next year”?

No próximo ano literally means in the next year, and is a common, neutral way to say “next year” in Portugal.

Other options:

• para o ano (very common in European Portuguese, informal–neutral)
• no ano que vem (very common in Brazilian Portuguese; understood in Portugal but feels more Brazilian)

Examples:

• O governo quer reduzir o imposto no próximo ano.
• O governo quer reduzir o imposto para o ano. (Portugal)
• O governo quer reduzir o imposto no ano que vem. (sounds Brazilian)

If I want to say “The government wants to reduce taxes next year”, how do I change the sentence?

You just make imposto plural:

• O governo quer reduzir os impostos no próximo ano.

Changes:

• o imposto → os impostos
  
  • article o → os (plural, masculine)
  • noun imposto → impostos (adds -s)

Everything else stays the same.

How would I say “The government will reduce the tax next year” instead of “wants to reduce”?

You change quer reduzir (wants to reduce) to a future form of reduzir:

Most natural options:

• O governo vai reduzir o imposto no próximo ano.
  → The government is going to reduce the tax next year. (very common, colloquial–neutral)

• O governo reduzirá o imposto no próximo ano.
  → The government will reduce the tax next year. (more formal/literary)

So:

• quer reduzir = wants to reduce (desire/intention)
• vai reduzir / reduzirá = will reduce (a decision or plan stated as a future fact)

How do I pronounce quer, imposto, and próximo in European Portuguese?

Approximate European Portuguese pronunciation:

• quer → /kɛɾ/

  • like “care” (British English) but with a tapped r (quick, single r sound).

• imposto → /ĩˈpoʃtu/

  • im- is nasal: /ĩ/ (like “een” but through the nose)
  • -pos- stressed: POSH (but shorter)
  • -to → /tu/ (close to “too”, but short).

• próximo → /ˈpɾɔʃimu/

  • pró-: stressed, open ó like “aw” in “law”
  • x → /ʃ/ like English “sh”
  • final -o is close to /u/ in European Portuguese (sounds like “oo” but short).

So the rhythm is roughly:

• O GO-ver-no quer re-du-ZIR o im-PO-sh-tu no PRÓ-shi-mu A-nu.