Breakdown of Preciso de ir à lavandaria, pois não tenho camisas limpas.
não
not / no
ter
to have
limpo
clean
a
to / at (direction)
ir
to go
a camisa
the shirt
precisar de
to need
o
him/it (m)
pois
because (since, for)
a lavandaria
the dry cleaner's
Questions & Answers about Preciso de ir à lavandaria, pois não tenho camisas limpas.
Why is there a de after Preciso?
In European Portuguese, the verb precisar (to need) is almost always followed by the preposition de when it precedes another verb in the infinitive, like ir (to go), or when it precedes a noun. You can think of it as saying 'I have need of...'
How could I change this sentence to mean 'I have been meaning to go to the dry cleaner's', using this lesson's grammar?
You would change the first clause to Ando para ir à lavandaria. Using andar para followed by an infinitive expresses a delayed intention, which perfectly captures the feeling of needing to do a chore for a while but putting it off.
Could I use porque instead of pois here?
Does lavandaria exclusively mean 'dry cleaner's'?
No, it is a general term that covers both self-service laundromats and full-service dry cleaners. Context usually tells you which one is meant. Also, note the spelling: it is lavandaria in Portugal, compared to the Brazilian lavanderia.
Learn Preciso de ir à lavandaria, pois não tenho camisas limpas and more in Portuguese
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free