How to Use “É necessário que” in Portuguese for Required Actions

Introduction

Understanding how to express necessity and requirement is essential for clear communication in Portuguese. This article explains how to use É necessário que to talk about required actions, why it triggers the subjunctive mood, and how to form natural sentences in Brazilian Portuguese. You will get step-by-step explanations, useful examples, and notes on common alternatives and nuances.

What does É necessário que mean?

É necessário que literally means it is necessary that. It is a formal and common way to express that something must happen or someone must do something. The phrase introduces a clause that conveys obligation, requirement, or necessity.

In Portuguese, many expressions of necessity trigger the subjunctive mood in the subordinate clause. É necessário que follows this pattern, so you will often see it followed by a verb in the present subjunctive for present or future actions, or by the past subjunctive for hypothetical or past contexts.

Why the subjunctive after É necessário que?

The subjunctive mood is used in Portuguese to express doubt, desire, emotion, possibility, or necessity. Because É necessário que communicates necessity rather than stating a factual, certain event, Portuguese grammar requires the subjunctive in the following clause.

Think of the structure as two parts: a main clause expressing necessity and a subordinate clause with the action. The subordinate verb reflects uncertainty, obligation, or potential rather than a straightforward statement of fact.

Basic structure and conjugation

A simple, common structure is:

É necessário que + subject + verb (present subjunctive)

Examples with different subjects:

É necessário que eu estude hoje.

É necessário que você chegue cedo.

É necessário que eles terminem o projeto.

Here are the present subjunctive endings for regular verbs to help you form the verbs correctly:

-AR verbs: use e, emos, em (falar → fale, falemos, falem)
-ER verbs: use a, amos, am (comer → coma, comamos, comam)
-IR verbs: use a, amos, am (partir → parta, partamos, partam)

Examples with full sentences

É necessário que eu fale com o gerente antes de sair.

É necessário que nós comamos algo antes da reunião.

É necessário que o aluno entregue o trabalho até sexta-feira.

Using different tenses with É necessário que

Present/future necessity: Use the present subjunctive when the need applies now or in the near future.

É necessário que você conte a verdade hoje.

Past or hypothetical necessity: To express necessity that applied in the past or did not happen, use the imperfect subjunctive (also called past subjunctive).

Era necessário que ele estudasse mais para passar na prova.

Conditional or contrary-to-fact situations: If you describe what should have happened but did not, you might pair Era/foi necessário que with the imperfect subjunctive or use perfect subjunctive forms when appropriate.

Foi necessário que ela tivesse cuidado durante a viagem. (refers to a past necessity with focus on completion)

Common verbs and variations used with É necessário que

Besides the canonical pattern, speakers often use variations or synonymous expressions. These alternatives can slightly change tone from formal to informal.

Common alternatives:

É preciso que + subjunctive — similar, slightly less formal in some contexts.

É importante que + subjunctive — emphasizes importance rather than strict necessity.

É obrigatório que + subjunctive — emphasizes obligation or rule, often stronger and used for regulations.

Examples:

É preciso que você estude para a prova.

É importante que todos cheguem na hora.

É obrigatório que os visitantes usem crachá dentro do prédio.

Negative forms: denying necessity

To say something is not necessary, negate the main verb. You still typically use the subjunctive in the subordinate clause.

Não é necessário que + subjunctive

Examples:

Não é necessário que você venha amanhã, eu resolvo aqui.

Não é necessário que eles pagassem adiantado se houver outra opção. (past or hypothetical context)

Notice how the negative main clause does not change the requirement to use the subjunctive in the dependent clause; the mood still reflects uncertainty or non-factuality.

Formality, register, and everyday use

É necessário que tends to sound somewhat formal or neutral. In everyday spoken Brazilian Portuguese, people might prefer simpler phrases or verbs in the infinitive when address is direct or less formal.

Informal or conversational alternatives:

Precisa + infinitive (colloquial and common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese)

Exemplo: Precisa estudar hoje? — instead of É necessário que você estude hoje?

Tem que + infinitive (very informal, common in speech)

Exemplo: Tem que entregar até sexta. — instead of É necessário que você entregue até sexta.

Use these alternatives in casual conversation. For formal writing, instructions, academic contexts, or official communication, prefer É necessário que or É obrigatório que.

Pronoun placement and clitic pronouns

When you need direct or indirect object pronouns inside the subordinate clause, keep the standard Brazilian Portuguese clitic rules. With the subjunctive, pronouns attach or precede depending on formality and clause position.

Examples:

É necessário que ele o veja antes do evento. (o = him or it; more formal written style might use ele o veja)

É necessário que você me diga a verdade. (me = tell me)

In spoken Brazilian Portuguese, people often place pronouns before the verb (especially in subordinate clauses), so you will frequently hear me diga, te diga, nos ajude. In formal writing, avoid enclitic placement at the beginning of clauses.

Idiomatic uses and cultural notes

Using É necessário que conveys seriousness and is common in workplaces, official notices, academic instructions, and formal advice. Brazilians often soften necessity with more polite or less direct forms when speaking face-to-face.

Softening strategies include:

Adding por favor or a polite conditional phrase, e.g., Seria necessário que… (Would it be necessary that…)

Using É importante que rather than É necessário que when you want to sound less demanding.

In everyday interactions, direct orders are frequently avoided. For example, instead of saying É necessário que você faça isso now, a Brazilian speaker might say Poderia fazer isso, por favor? or Você pode fazer isso hoje?

Negative commands and obligations

When instructing someone not to do something, speakers often use não é necessário que + subjunctive or the negative imperative, depending on tone and force.

Examples:

Não é necessário que você pague agora; podemos esperar. (less forceful)

Não pague agora. (direct negative imperative)

Choose the form based on how strong or formal the instruction should be. Use É necessário que for clear, documented requirements and alternatives like tem que or precisa for informal immediacy.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Mistake 1: Using the indicative instead of the subjunctive.

Incorrect: É necessário que ele fala com o gerente.
Correct: É necessário que ele fale com o gerente.

Mistake 2: Forgetting to change tense for past contexts.

Incorrect: Era necessário que ela fala com o médico.
Correct: Era necessário que ela falasse com o médico.

Mistake 3: Overusing formal É necessário que in casual speech where simpler constructions fit better.

To avoid errors, practice forming the present and imperfect subjunctive and pay attention to stylistic context: formal text versus casual speech.

Useful summary and quick reference

Use É necessário que + subjunctive to express necessity, obligation, or requirement. Choose present subjunctive for present/future needs and imperfect subjunctive for past or hypothetical needs. For informal speech, prefer precisa/tem que + infinitive. Remember pronoun placement norms, and soften language with alternatives like É importante que when politeness is needed.

Conclusion

Mastering É necessário que helps you express requirements clearly and appropriately in Brazilian Portuguese. Focus on using the correct subjunctive forms, choose the appropriate tense for time reference, and adjust register for formal or informal contexts. With practice, you will feel comfortable using this structure in instructions, advice, and formal communication.