Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Ela quer conhecer o país. - She wants to get to know the country.

Ela quer conhecer o país.

She wants to get to know the country.

Breakdown of Ela quer conhecer o país.

to meet / to get to know / discover

Questions & Answers about Ela quer conhecer o país.

Why is conhecer in its infinitive (dictionary) form instead of being conjugated?

Because it follows quer (a form of the verb querer, meaning to want). When you have two verbs together like this, only the first one is conjugated to match the subject (ela). The second verb stays in the infinitive, just like in English: she wants to get to know.

Why is conhecer used here instead of saber to mean to know?

In Portuguese, conhecer is used when talking about being familiar with people, places, or things (like a country). You use saber when you are talking about knowing facts, information, or knowing how to do a specific action.

Does the accent mark on país change how the word sounds?

Yes, it is very important! The accent on país (country) tells you to emphasize the i and pronounce it as two syllables. Without the accent, pais means parents and is pronounced as one single syllable.

Why do we need the word o before país?

O is the masculine singular word for the. Just like in English, you are saying she wants to get to know the country. In Portuguese, nouns almost always need their matching article (o, a, os, or as) right in front of them.