Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Ele precisa de concentrar-se no trabalho.

Ele precisa de concentrar-se no trabalho.

He needs to concentrate on the work.

Breakdown of Ele precisa de concentrar-se no trabalho.

Questions & Answers about Ele precisa de concentrar-se no trabalho.

Why do we need the word de after precisa?

In Portuguese, the verb precisar (to need) must be followed by the preposition de before a noun or another verb. So, 'to need to do something' is always translated as precisar de plus the infinitive form of the action verb.

Why is 'on the work' translated as no trabalho?

Different verbs demand different prepositions. While English says 'concentrate on', the Portuguese verb concentrar-se requires the preposition em. When em meets the masculine article o (the), they blend together to form no.

Why is the pronoun se attached to the end of concentrar with a hyphen?

Because precisa is already conjugated for Ele, the second verb (concentrar) is left in its dictionary form, the infinitive. In European Portuguese, when a verb is in the infinitive, object pronouns like se are normally attached to the end of it with a hyphen.

What is the purpose of the se in concentrar-se?

The verb concentrar is reflexive in Portuguese when talking about focusing your mind. It literally translates to 'he needs to concentrate himself'. The pronoun se means 'himself' and is required here to show that the action reflects back on the subject, Ele.