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Portuguese (Portugal)

### The verb precisar

In Portuguese, the verb **precisar** (to need) is a regular **-ar** verb. Just like the verb *gostar*, it is almost always followed by the preposition **de**.

| Pronoun | Precisar (Present) |
| --- | --- |
| Eu | preciso |
| Tu | precisas |
| Ele / Ela / Você | precisa |
| Nós | precisamos |
| Eles / Elas / Vocês | precisam |

### Needing specific things

When you need a *specific* thing, the noun is usually preceded by a definite article (**o**, **a**, **os**, **as**). Remember that the preposition **de** merges with these articles to form mandatory contractions:

- **de** + **o** = **do**
- **de** + **a** = **da**
- **de** + **os** = **dos**
- **de** + **as** = **das**

In European Portuguese, possessive words (like "your") also take definite articles, so they will trigger these same contractions.

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To make the sentence negative, place **não** immediately before the verb.

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### Needing to do an action

To say that you need to *do* something, use **precisar de** followed by an infinitive verb (like **descansar** or **dormir**). 

{{item:946426}}

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### Needing general items

If you are talking about needing something general, uncountable, or using words like **mais** (more), you use the base preposition **de** without an article.

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The verb to need (precisar de)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

contraction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

phrase

prefix

prep

preposition

pron

pronoun

sentence

verb

Demonstratives and the verb to be (isto é, o, a)

Subject pronouns and negation (eu, não)

Yes/no questions and question words (quem, o que)

Plural pronouns, articles, and verbs (somos, são, os, as)

Origin and possession (de, do, da)

Introductions (chamar-se)

Indefinite articles (um, uma, uns, umas)

The verb to be for locations (estar)

Contrasting the two verbs to be (ser vs. estar)

Preposition for locations (em, no, na)

Numbers 0 to 10 (zero, um, dois)

The verb to have (tenho, tem)

Regular -ar verbs (falar, trabalhar)

Regular -er verbs (comer, beber)

Regular -ir verbs (abrir, partir)

My, your, and our (o meu, a nossa)

His, hers, and theirs (dele, dela)

Adjective agreement and placement

Days of the week (segunda-feira)

Months of the year (janeiro)

Counting by tens to 100 (trinta, quarenta...)

Telling time (é uma, são...)

Asking about time (quando, a que horas)

The verb to go (ir)

Prepositions of direction (a, para)

Preposition a contractions (ao, à, aos, às)

Prepositions of place (ao lado de, em frente de...)

Demonstratives (este, esse, aquele)

Contractions with demonstratives (neste, desse, daquele)

Asking which and how many (qual, quanto)

Plurals ending in -ão (-ões, -ãos, -ães)

Plurals ending in consonants (-ns, -is, -es)

The verb to like (gostar de)

The verb to want (querer)

The verb can or may (poder)

Expressing obligation (ter de)

Adverbs of degree (muito, pouco)

Quantifiers (muito, pouco)

Comparatives (mais... do que, menos... do que)

Equality comparisons (tão... como)

The preposition com (comigo, contigo)

Coordinating conjunctions (e, mas, ou, porque)

The preposition por (pelo, pela)

Double negation (nunca, nada, ninguém)

Present continuous (estar a)

Near future (ir)

Past tense of regular -ar verbs

Past tense of regular -er and -ir verbs

Past tense of ser and ir (fui, foi)

Direct object pronouns (me, te, o, a, nos, os, as)

Pronoun placement with negatives and questions

Greetings and courtesy (bom dia, obrigado)

Physical states with ter (ter fome, ter frio)

Asking the way (à direita, sempre em frente)

Colours (vermelho, amarelo, cor-de-rosa)

Money and shopping (custar, a moeda)

Getting around (o motorista, a paragem de autocarro)

Weather and seasons (faz calor, o inverno)

Omitting the subject pronoun

Where things are: ficar (Onde fica...?)

Richer questions: que + noun and é que

Numbers above 100 (cento e vinte, mil)

First-person sound changes (durmo, prefiro)

Advice and ability: dever and saber

Asking why: porquê and porque

When one thing happens: quando-clauses

Here and there: aqui, aí, ali (cá e lá)

Formal and plural possessives: o seu, o vosso

Irregular presents: ver, vir, dar

Present irregulars

Reflexive verbs (me, te, se, nos)

Stem-changing reflexives

Attached object pronouns (-lo, -la, -los, -las)

Nasal attached pronouns (-no, -na, -nos, -nas)

Pronoun placement with adverbs

Past tense of fazer, dizer, and trazer

Past tense of ter, estar, poder, and saber

Past tense of querer and vir

Past tense of ver, dar, and ler

Past tense reflexive verbs (-se)

Time elapsed in the past (há)

Already and not yet (já, ainda não)

Question	Answer
to need	precisar de
the help	a ajuda
I need your (sg) help.	Eu preciso da tua ajuda.
to rest	descansar
We need to rest now.	Precisamos de descansar agora.
more	mais
the time	o tempo
He needs more time.	Ele precisa de mais tempo.
the dictionary	o dicionário
Do you (formal, m) need the dictionary?	O senhor precisa do dicionário?
the ticket	o bilhete
They (m) do not need the tickets.	Eles não precisam dos bilhetes.
to sleep	dormir
I need to sleep, I am tired.	Preciso de dormir, estou cansado.
the information	a informação
We need more information.	Precisamos de mais informação.
urgent	urgente
The problem is urgent, I need a doctor!	O problema é urgente, preciso de um médico!
She needs to rest at the hotel.	Ela precisa de descansar no hotel.
Do you (informal) need to sleep more?	Precisas de dormir mais?
I do not need your (sg) ticket.	Não preciso do teu bilhete.
We need the dictionary for the class.	Precisamos do dicionário para a aula.
This information is urgent.	Esta informação é urgente.
They (m) need help at the hospital.	Eles precisam de ajuda no hospital.
Do you (pl) need more time?	Vocês precisam de mais tempo?