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Learn how to use the verb Precisar (and Precisar de) to get yourself out of trouble!
When you’re traveling to another country, something crucial is to go prepared to solve problems you find yourself into. When your phone charger doesn’t work well, or even when you need to buy a medicine you forgot to bring, it is important to know how to say what you need. In Brazil, if you have to say you need something or that you need to do something, the easiest way to do it is by saying preciso or preciso de… So here is how you can get yourself out of trouble and finally learn how to use the verb precisar!
Conjugation of the verb Precisar
The verb precisar ends with -ar, the 1st type of verbs in Brazilian Portuguese. So, its conjugation in the present will be:
| PORTUGUESE | ENGLISH |
| Eu preciso | I need |
| Você precisa | You need |
| Ele precisa | He needs |
| Ela precisa | She needs |
| Nós precisamos | We need |
| Vocês precisam | You guys need |
| Eles/Elas precisam | They need |
How to use the verb Precisar
When you need to do something, you should use the verb precisar + the action you have to do. Let’s see some examples below to understand the structure!
1. Eu preciso dormir
I need to sleep
2. Ele precisa descansar
He needs to rest
3. Ela precisa acordar cedo
She needs to wake up early
4. Nós precisamos ir embora
We need to leave
5. Eles precisam tomar banho
They need to take a shower
As you can see, differently from the English language, in Brazilian Portuguese we do not use the preposition “to” after the verb to indicate what action the subject has to do. Instead, in Portuguese we simply put the verb precisar together with the other verb in its infinitive form.
Therefore, we have the structure: Precisar + action. But what if we have to say we need something or someone?
How to use the verb Precisar + de
When you need something or someone , you should use the verb precisar + de preposition + the quantity (optional) + the noun you want to refer to. Check some phrase examples to understand how is it different from using the verb precisar without the preposition de.
1. Preciso de café
I need coffee
2. Ele precisa de ajuda
He needs help
3. Você precisa de um celular novo
You need a new cellphone
4. Elas precisam de dois lápis
They need two pencils
5. Nós precisamos de férias
We need vacation
Something important to notice is that you can make different kinds of phrases with the verb precisar, and you can even be a little romantic and use this verb to confess your love by saying:
⭐Bonus: Preciso de você!
I need you!
So, did you understand how to use the verb precisar? Actually, this content was created based on two videos we produced for our social media accounts, as you can see down below!
Check out our Portuguese Basics series to learn more useful Brazilian Portuguese verbs and phrases! Also, follow us on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube for more free content to learn Portuguese!
