A Maria precisa de um visto para estudar fora, por isso vai amanhã à embaixada.

Breakdown of A Maria precisa de um visto para estudar fora, por isso vai amanhã à embaixada.

Maria
Maria
um
a
ir
to go
precisar de
to need
estudar
to study
amanhã
tomorrow
para
to
por isso
so
à
to
o visto
the visa
fora
abroad
a embaixada
the embassy
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Portuguese grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Portuguese now

Questions & Answers about A Maria precisa de um visto para estudar fora, por isso vai amanhã à embaixada.

Why is there an A before Maria? We don’t say “the Maria” in English.

In European Portuguese, it’s very common to use the definite article before people’s names:

  • A Maria = “Maria” (literally “the Maria”)
  • O João = “João”

In Portugal this is normal and sounds natural in everyday speech. It does not mean anything special like “that Maria over there”; it’s just how people often refer to someone.

In more formal writing, or for stylistic reasons, the article can be dropped (Maria precisa de um visto…), but in conversation in Portugal, A Maria and O João are very typical.

In Brazilian Portuguese, the article is usually not used with names, so you’d hear Maria precisa de um visto… much more often there.

Can I leave out the A and just say Maria precisa de um visto…? Does it change the meaning?

You can say either:

  • A Maria precisa de um visto…
  • Maria precisa de um visto…

The basic meaning is the same.

Differences:

  • In Portugal, using the article (A Maria) sounds more informal / conversational and is extremely common in speech.
  • Omitting it (Maria precisa…) can sound a bit more formal, neutral or written.

So yes, you can leave it out, especially in writing, but if you want to sound like most European Portuguese speakers in everyday conversation, keeping the article before names is very natural.

Why is it precisa de um visto and not precisa um visto?

Because in Portuguese the verb precisar (to need) normally takes the preposition de before a noun:

  • precisar de algo = “to need something”
    • A Maria precisa de um visto. = “Maria needs a visa.”

Compare:

  • precisar de dinheiro = to need money
  • precisar de ajuda = to need help
  • precisar de tempo = to need time

If you say precisa um visto (without de), it sounds incorrect in European Portuguese. In Brazilian Portuguese, some people drop the de in informal speech, but it’s still considered less correct in careful language.

Note:
With a verb afterwards, you usually don’t use de:

  • Preciso estudar. = I need to study.
  • Preciso de um livro. = I need a book.
Can I say precisa dum visto instead of precisa de um visto?

Yes. dum is the contraction of de + um:

  • de + umdum
  • de + umaduma

So both are possible:

  • A Maria precisa de um visto.
  • A Maria precisa dum visto.

They mean the same thing. Differences:

  • de um is slightly more formal / careful.
  • dum is very common in speech and in more informal writing.

In Portugal, dum / duma are widely accepted and sound completely natural in everyday language.

Why do we use para estudar here? Is it like saying “to study”?

Yes. para + infinitive is a very common way to express purpose in Portuguese:

  • para estudar = “(in order) to study”

In the sentence:

  • precisa de um visto para estudar fora
    = “(she) needs a visa to study abroad

You use para + infinitive when you want to say why something is done or what its purpose is:

  • Trabalho para pagar as contas. = I work to pay the bills.
  • Saiu mais cedo para evitar o trânsito. = He left early to avoid the traffic.

Because the subject of precisa and estudar is the same person (Maria), you don’t need a pronoun:

  • …para estudar fora (normal)
  • …para ela estudar fora (possible, but adds emphasis or contrast, e.g. “for her to study abroad”)
What exactly does fora mean here? Is it literally “outside”?

Literally, fora means “outside”.

However, in expressions like:

  • estudar fora
  • morar fora
  • trabalhar fora

it often means “abroad” or “outside one’s usual country / city”, depending on context.

So:

  • estudar fora ≈ “study abroad”
  • morar fora ≈ “live abroad”

If you want to be completely explicit about “abroad”, you can say:

  • estudar no estrangeiro = study abroad
    But estudar fora is very commonly used in everyday Portuguese.
Is there a difference between estudar fora and estudar no estrangeiro?

Both can refer to studying abroad, but there’s a slight nuance:

  • estudar fora

    • More informal / conversational.
    • Often relies on context: usually means outside the country, but could also be outside your city or region, depending on what you’re talking about.
  • estudar no estrangeiro

    • More explicit: clearly means “in a foreign country”, abroad.
    • Slightly more formal / neutral.

In many situations they’re interchangeable when it’s obvious you mean “abroad”.

Why is it por isso and not porque?

Because they play different roles:

  • porque = “because” (introduces the cause)
  • por isso = “so / therefore / because of that” (introduces the consequence)

In your sentence:

  • A Maria precisa de um visto para estudar fora, por isso vai amanhã à embaixada.
    = “Maria needs a visa to study abroad, so she’s going to the embassy tomorrow.”

If you used porque, it would change the structure and meaning:

  • A Maria vai amanhã à embaixada porque precisa de um visto…
    = “Maria is going to the embassy tomorrow because she needs a visa…”

So:

  • Use porque to give the reason.
  • Use por isso to give the result/consequence.
Can I use então instead of por isso?

Sometimes, yes, especially in speech:

  • A Maria precisa de um visto para estudar fora, então vai amanhã à embaixada.

This is understandable and sounds quite natural in Brazilian Portuguese. In European Portuguese:

  • por isso is the more neutral / standard way to say “so / therefore” in writing.
  • então also exists, but it often has several other uses (filler, “well then”, “so?”, etc.), and the por isso version is usually preferred in careful writing.

In conversation in Portugal, people do say então with this meaning, but if you want a safe, standard connector for “so / therefore”, por isso is the best choice.

Why is it vai amanhã à embaixada and not vai amanhã a embaixada? What does the accent in à mean?

à is the contraction of:

  • preposition a (to)
  • feminine singular article a (the)
    = à

The grave accent (`) marks this contraction.

So:

  • a + a embaixadaà embaixada = “to the embassy”

You use this because with the verb ir (to go), you generally say:

  • ir a
    • a place

Examples:

  • Vou à escola. = I’m going to the school.
  • Fui à praia. = I went to the beach.
  • Ele vai à embaixada. = He’s going to the embassy.

Writing a embaixada (without the accent) after vai would be incorrect in this case; the standard form is à embaixada.

Could I say vai amanhã para a embaixada instead? What’s the difference between a and para after ir?

Both ir a and ir para exist, but there’s a general tendency:

  • ir a

    • place

    • Often used when you’re going there and then coming back, or for a specific visit / event.
    • Very common with places like à escola, ao médico, ao supermercado, à embaixada.
  • ir para

    • place

    • Often used when you’re going to stay there, or the destination is more permanent / long-term.
    • e.g. ir para Lisboa, ir para Londres, ir para casa.

So in your sentence:

  • vai amanhã à embaixada suggests a visit / errand (go there, do something, then leave again), which fits perfectly with going to the embassy to handle a visa.

You could say vai amanhã para a embaixada, but it would more naturally suggest she’s going there to stay or to be based there, which doesn’t match the normal idea of “going to the embassy” for paperwork.

Why is the present tense vai used to talk about the future? Why not irá?

In Portuguese, the present tense is very commonly used for near or planned future actions, especially with a time expression like amanhã:

  • A Maria vai amanhã à embaixada.
    = Maria is going to the embassy tomorrow.

This is completely normal and very common.

The simple future irá also exists:

  • A Maria irá amanhã à embaixada.

But:

  • irá often sounds more formal, distant, or written.
  • The present vai with a future time marker (amanhã, logo, para a semana) is the most natural choice in everyday speech.

Unlike English, there is no need for a separate construction like “is going to go”; vai already means “is going (to go)” in this context.
Vai ir is almost never used and sounds wrong or very awkward.

Why don’t we see ela (“she”) in the sentence? Could we say …por isso ela vai amanhã…?

Portuguese is a pro‑drop language: subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

  • vai amanhã à embaixada
    Here vai is 3rd person singular, and from context we know it refers to A Maria.

You can say:

  • …por isso ela vai amanhã à embaixada.

That’s grammatically correct, but:

  • Adding ela usually adds emphasis or a contrast, like “so she is going tomorrow (not someone else).”
  • In neutral sentences, leaving the pronoun out is more typical.
Is the comma before por isso necessary?

Yes, in standard written Portuguese you normally use a comma before connectors like por isso when they join two clauses:

  • A Maria precisa de um visto para estudar fora, por isso vai amanhã à embaixada.

Here, por isso introduces a new clause with a consequence, so it is separated by a comma.

In very informal writing or fast text messages, people sometimes drop commas, but in correct, careful writing the comma here is expected.