Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Eu preciso de sabão.

Eu preciso de sabão.

I need soap.

Breakdown of Eu preciso de sabão.

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Questions & Answers about Eu preciso de sabão.

Why is there a de after preciso?

In Portuguese, the verb precisar (to need) must be followed by the preposition de when you state a noun that you need. You can think of it as saying "I have need of..." So, "I need soap" becomes Eu preciso de sabão.

Could I say Eu preciso do sabão instead of just de sabão?

Yes, but it changes the meaning. Eu preciso de sabão means "I need soap" in a general sense. If you say do sabão (which is a mix of de + the word for 'the', o), it means "I need the soap", referring to a specific soap you and the listener already know about.

Does sabão refer to any kind of soap?

Usually, sabão refers to laundry soap, dish soap, or a heavy-duty block of cleaning soap. If you want a bar of hand soap or body soap for the shower, you would ask for a sabonete in Portugal.

How do I pronounce the -ão ending in sabão?

The -ão makes a nasal sound. It sounds a bit like the "ow" in the English word "cow", but you push the air through your nose instead of just your mouth. If you try saying "saba-own" while pinching your nose, you will be very close!