Introduction
Understanding when to use a preposition after a verb is essential for clear Portuguese. This article explains common rules for Portuguese preposition use after verbs, focusing on Brazilian Portuguese, with examples and explanations that beginners and intermediate learners can use to speak and write more naturally.
- Why prepositions matter after verbs
- When verbs can take different prepositions (changing meaning)
- Direct object vs. prepositional object
- Personal pronouns and prepositions after verbs
- Infinitives and prepositions
- Prepositions for motion, direction, and place after verbs
- Verbs followed by prepositions indicating cause, manner, or instrument
- Pronominal verbs and reflexive constructions
- Common errors to avoid
- How to learn and internalize verb + preposition patterns
- Summary of essential verb + preposition pairs to memorize
- Conclusion
Why prepositions matter after verbs
Some verbs in Portuguese require a preposition before their object or complement. Using or omitting a preposition changes meaning, grammar, and naturalness. For learners, recognizing verbs that govern prepositions avoids common errors like *gostar eu* instead of *gostar de mim*.
Verbs that always require a specific preposition
Certain verbs are intrinsically linked to a particular preposition. When you learn these verbs, learn the preposition with them. These patterns are predictable and often mirror conceptual relations like destination, origin, purpose, cause, or possession.
Examples:
gostar de — to like
Eu gosto de música.
Ele gosta de viajar.
precisar de — to need
Nós precisamos de ajuda.
Você precisa de tempo.
depender de — to depend on
O sucesso depende de esforço.
Tudo depende de você.
Common verb + preposition pairs
Here are frequent verb + preposition pairs learners should memorize because they appear in everyday speech.
sonhar com — to dream about
Ela sonha com uma casa no campo.
cuidar de — to take care of
Ele cuida do carro.
lembrar-se de — to remember
Eu me lembro de você.
pensar em — to think about
Estou pensando em mudar de emprego.
When verbs can take different prepositions (changing meaning)
Some verbs change meaning depending on whether they are followed by a preposition and which one. Knowing these distinctions helps avoid misinterpretation.
Examples of meaning changes
tratar
tratar de — to deal with, address
Vamos tratar do problema amanhã.
tratar alguém — to treat someone in a certain way (no preposition)
Ele trata os colegas com respeito.
falar
falar com — to speak with someone
Quero falar com você.
falar de — to talk about a topic
Eles falaram de política.
ir
ir a — to go to (places; often more formal)
Vou a São Paulo amanhã.
ir para — to go to (destination; more common for movement)
Vou para o trabalho de ônibus.
Direct object vs. prepositional object
Portuguese distinguishes between direct objects (no preposition) and prepositional objects (require a preposition). Transitive verbs take direct objects, while transitive verbs with fixed prepositions take prepositional objects.
Direct object (no preposition)
Verbs that act directly on their object do not use a preposition. The object usually answers the question what or whom.
Examples:
Eu comprei o livro. — I bought the book.
Ela viu o filme.
Prepositional object (requires preposition)
Some verbs cannot take a naked object; they need a preposition. For those verbs, ask which preposition the verb selects.
Examples:
Ela gosta de chocolate. — She likes chocolate.
Nós precisamos de tempo.
Personal pronouns and prepositions after verbs
When a verb requires a preposition and the object is a pronoun, use the corresponding prepositional pronoun (mim, ti, ele/ela, nós, vós, eles/elas). Remember that mim and ti are used after prepositions; eu and tu are used as subjects without prepositions.
Examples with pronouns
Para mim, isso é importante. — For me, this is important.
Ela falou com ele ontem. — She spoke with him yesterday.
Você conta comigo? — Can you count on me?
Note the use of com + pronoun: comigo and contigo are special forms: comigo, contigo, consigo, com ele, com ela, com a gente, conosco.
Infinitives and prepositions
Some verbs are followed by a preposition plus an infinitive. The preposition links the verb to the action expressed by the infinitive. Common patterns include de + infinitive and para + infinitive.
de + infinitive
Used after verbs that govern de when referring to actions.
Examples:
Ele deixou de fumar. — He stopped smoking.
Precisamos falar de mudar o plano.
para + infinitive
Often indicates purpose or intention.
Examples:
Estou estudando para passar no exame. — I am studying to pass the exam.
Saí cedo para pegar o ônibus.
Prepositions for motion, direction, and place after verbs
Verbs of movement frequently pair with specific prepositions to indicate direction or destination. The choice between a, para, até, and em can change nuance.
a vs. para
a often means to a place and can be used with proper nouns and events. para emphasizes destination or purpose.
Vou a São Paulo. — I am going to São Paulo.
Vou para a praia. — I am going to the beach.
Saí a pé. — I went on foot (more idiomatic contexts).
até and em
até can mean up to or until when combined with verbs of motion. em often indicates being at or inside a place.
Andamos até o parque. — We walked up to the park.
Estou em casa. — I am at home.
Verbs followed by prepositions indicating cause, manner, or instrument
Some verbs use prepositions to indicate cause, manner, or instrument. These prepositions are often por, com, or sem.
Examples
Ele sofreu por causa do acidente. — He suffered because of the accident.
Escrevi com uma caneta azul. — I wrote with a blue pen.
Saí sem guarda-chuva. — I left without an umbrella.
Pronominal verbs and reflexive constructions
Pronominal verbs use reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos, vos). Some pronominal verbs still require prepositions after them, especially when followed by a prepositional complement.
Examples
Queixar-se de — to complain about
Ele se queixou do barulho. — He complained about the noise.
Aproveitar-se de — to take advantage of
Ela se aproveitou da situação. — She took advantage of the situation.
Common errors to avoid
Beginners often make predictable mistakes. Here are common errors and how to fix them.
1. Omitting required prepositions
Wrong: Eu gosto futebol.
Right: Eu gosto de futebol.
Always learn the preposition with the verb.
2. Using subject pronouns after prepositions
Wrong: Para eu fazer isso.
Right: Para mim fazer isso or better Para eu fazer isso is acceptable in some contexts but Para mim is the prepositional form when the pronoun is object of the preposition.
Note: Brazilian Portuguese sometimes accepts Para eu + infinitive in colloquial speech, but formal usage favors para mim + infinitive when the pronoun is the object of the preposition.
3. Confusing a and para
Wrong: Vou a casa agora (depending on region this can be understood).
Right: Vou para casa agora or Vou a casa agora can be used; para casa emphasizes movement into the home; a casa is also correct and common.
How to learn and internalize verb + preposition patterns
Learning collocations helps. Study verbs with their prepositions as chunks rather than separately. Use authentic materials—songs, films, news—and notice how native speakers use verbs with prepositions. Keep a personal list of verb + preposition pairs and review them in context.
Tip: When you encounter a new verb in reading or listening, note the preposition that follows and copy a full example sentence. Repetition and context make the pattern stick.
Cultural and usage notes
Brazilian Portuguese is flexible in casual speech. Some preposition choices vary regionally or stylistically. For example, falar com and falar para can both appear depending on intent; ir a vs ir para can be interchangeable. In formal writing, prefer the standard pairings explained here. In colloquial spoken Brazilian Portuguese, contractions and informal pronoun use are common, such as saber de nada becoming não saber de nada in negatives.
Summary of essential verb + preposition pairs to memorize
Here is a compact list of high-frequency pairs you should focus on initially.
gostar de
precisar de
depender de
pensar em
lembrar-se de
falar com / falar de
ir a / ir para
cuidar de
tratar de / tratar alguém
sonhar com
Conclusion
Mastering prepositions after verbs is a key step toward fluency in Portuguese. Learn verbs with their prepositions, pay attention to meaning shifts when prepositions change, and practice with real Brazilian Portuguese sentences. Over time, these patterns will feel natural and help you communicate more accurately and confidently.
