O governo quer reduzir o imposto no próximo ano.

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.

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...

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”)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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…”

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)

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.

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)

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.