Introduction
Knowing how to use verbs with de is essential for sounding natural in Brazilian Portuguese. Many verbs require de before an infinitive, noun, or clause, and the differences can change meaning. This article explains when and why Portuguese verbs take de, with clear rules, examples, and cultural notes to help English-speaking learners understand and use these structures confidently.
Why verbs use de in Portuguese
In Portuguese, prepositions connect verbs to verbs, nouns, or clauses. The preposition de often marks the relationship between a main verb and what follows: possession, origin, cause, instrument, or the beginning of an action. For many verbs, especially those describing feelings, intentions, obligations, or requests, Portuguese requires de before the following element. This differs from English, where the equivalent construction sometimes uses to, of, that, or no preposition at all.
Common patterns: verb + de + infinitive
One frequent structure is verbo + de + infinitivo. Here the preposition links the verb to another action. Common verbs that use this pattern include tentar (when attempting something, note: tentar does not use de—see note), decidir, esquecer, aconselhar, precisar, and tratar. However, verbs differ: some require de, some use other prepositions, and some take no preposition at all.
Examples:
Ela decidiu deixar o emprego.
(Note: this sentence is incorrect because decidir takes no preposition before an infinitive. Correct form: Ela decidiu deixar o emprego.)
Correct examples that show de + infinitive:
Ele tem medo de falar em público.
Eu preciso de descansar um pouco.
Verbs of emotion and perception
Many verbs that express feelings toward an action use de. These often involve nouns or infinitives that describe the cause or object of the emotion. Common verbs include ter medo, ter saudade, estar cansado (when followed by de), and sentir vergonha.
Examples:
Tenho medo de voar.
Ela sente saudade do Brasil.
Estamos cansados de trabalhar tanto.
Verbs expressing necessity, obligation, or desire
Verbs that convey a need, obligation, or desire often require de before a noun or infinitive. Common verbs: precisar, cuidar (when meaning to take care of), amar (sometimes with de when followed by a noun in certain expressions), and sonhar with specific structures.
Examples:
Eu preciso de um tempo.
Você precisa de estudar mais.
Ela sonha com viajar pelo mundo. (note: sonhar uses com when followed by a noun)
Verbs of recommendation, advice, and prohibition
When giving advice or prohibiting actions, Portuguese often uses verbs followed by de plus an infinitive or noun. Verbs like aconselhar, proibir, impedir, and desencorajar commonly use de.
Examples:
Eu aconselhei meu amigo a pedir ajuda. (Aconselhar can take a or a + infinitive; with noun: aconselhar alguém a fazer algo.)
O médico proibiu o paciente de comer alimentos gordurosos.
Os pais impediram a menina de sair tarde.
Specific verbs that require de
Below are common verbs and patterns where de is required. For each verb, you will see the meaning and natural example sentences in Brazilian Portuguese.
1. ter medo / ter vergonha / ter saudade
Use de to indicate what causes the feeling.
Tenho medo de altura.
Ele sente vergonha de admitir o erro.
Nós temos saudade do tempo em que morávamos lá.
2. precisar de
Precisar almost always uses de when followed by a noun or pronoun. When followed by an infinitive, you can often omit de and say precisar + infinitive, but many speakers use both forms depending on emphasis.
Eu preciso de dinheiro.
Você precisa estudar para a prova.
Precisamos de mais tempo.
3. esquecer de / lembrar de
These verbs use de to connect with the action you forgot or remembered.
Eu esqueci de comprar pão.
Lembre-se de levar o passaporte.
Ela lembrou de chamar o técnico.
4. tratar de
Tratar de can mean to deal with or to try. When followed by a noun or infinitive, it often uses de.
Preciso tratar de uns assuntos hoje.
Ele tratou de organizar a festa.
5. cansar-se de / apaixonar-se de (note)
Many reflexive verbs use de to indicate the cause or target of the feeling. For example, cansar-se de (to be tired of) uses de. Be careful with verbs like apaixonar-se, which usually use por or em rather than de.
Estou cansado de esperar.
Ele se cansou de reclamar.
Ela se apaixonou por ele. (not apaixonou de)
When not to use de: common pitfalls
English speakers often insert de where Portuguese omits it, or leave it out where Portuguese requires it. Here are common pitfalls and how to avoid them.
Infinitive after certain verbs
Some verbs in Portuguese go directly to the infinitive without a preposition. Common verbs include querer, poder, começar (when beginning an action), and decidir. Using de with these verbs is incorrect.
Eu quero viajar. (not Eu quero de viajar)
Ele pode ajudar amanhã. (not Ele pode de ajudar)
Eles começaram a trabalhar cedo. (começar uses a before an infinitive when followed by an agent; but no de)
Choose the right preposition
Some verbs take prepositions other than de. For example, gostar uses de, but sonhar uses com for nouns and em for infinitives or clauses in certain contexts. Learn each verb’s pattern.
Eu gosto de música.
Ela sonha com morar na praia.
Ele sonha em ganhar na loteria. (both com and em are used; com + noun, em + infinitive or clause)
Preposition contraction: do, da, dos, das
When de combines with definite articles, Portuguese contracts: de + o = do, de + a = da, de + os = dos, de + as = das. These contractions are common and should be used naturally.
Ele tem medo do escuro.
Ela falou da reunião.
Estamos cansados das mesmas desculpas.
Step-by-step guide to choosing de or no preposition
Follow these steps when deciding whether to use de after a verb.
1. Identify the main verb and what follows: a noun, pronoun, infinitive, or clause.
2. Check if the main verb commonly takes de. Learn patterns for verbs of emotion, necessity, advice, and prevention.
3. If the following element is a noun or pronoun and the verb expresses need, fear, memory, or possession, prefer de.
4. If the following element is an infinitive, consult the verb pattern: verbs like querer, poder, dever, começar usually take no preposition; verbs like esquecer, lembrar, impedir often use de.
5. Use contractions when de meets articles: do, da, dos, das.
Quick reference list
Verbs that usually take de: precisar de, ter medo de, ter saudade de, esquecer de, lembrar de, cansar-se de, proibir de, impedir de, tratar de.
Verbs that do not take de before an infinitive: querer, poder, dever, preferir, gostar de (note: gostar uses de before nouns), decidir (no preposition before infinitive), começar (depends: começar a + infinitive often used).
Real conversational examples and explanations
Seeing how these constructions appear in everyday speech helps you internalize them. Below are authentic-sounding Brazilian Portuguese sentences with natural use of de and notes.
Eu tenho medo de falar com desconhecidos.
Note: medo de + infinitive expresses fear of doing something.
Ela pediu para eu não falar de política na festa.
Note: falar de = to talk about. Here de links the verb falar to the topic política.
Precisamos de uma solução urgente.
Note: precisar de + noun is the standard pattern for needing something.
Ele esqueceu de pagar a conta.
Note: esquecer de + infinitive shows the action that was forgotten.
Os pais proibiram os filhos de assistir TV até terminarem a lição.
Note: proibir alguém de fazer algo is the natural prohibition pattern.
Cultural notes and usage tips
In Brazilian Portuguese, contractions and casual spoken forms appear frequently. You will hear people shorten phrases and use contractions like do and da naturally. Also, regional variations exist: some speakers might prefer a or de with certain verbs; context and formality matter. In formal writing, stick to standard preposition use. In spoken language, listen and mimic native speakers to pick up preferred patterns.
Politeness and indirect request forms often include de. For example, pedir para alguém fazer algo or pedir que alguém faça algo show subtle differences. Pedir para + infinitive is common in speech; pedir que + subjunctive appears in more formal contexts.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
1. Adding de after verbs that take no preposition. Fix by removing de and using infinitive directly.
Incorrect: Eu quero de viajar.
Correct: Eu quero viajar.
2. Omitting de where required with nouns. Fix by inserting de or its contraction.
Incorrect: Eu preciso um tempo.
Correct: Eu preciso de um tempo.
3. Using the wrong preposition. Fix by learning verb-preposition collocations and practicing them in context.
Additional resources and practice suggestions
To master verbs with de, read authentic Brazilian Portuguese texts—news, blogs, and transcripts—and highlight verb-preposition pairs. Listen to podcasts and repeat sentences aloud to internalize rhythm and contractions. Keep a list of verbs and their required prepositions, and review them with example sentences.
Conclusion
Using verbs with de correctly makes your Portuguese sound natural and clear. Focus on verb categories—emotions, needs, memory, advice—and learn which verbs require de, which use other prepositions, and which take no preposition. Pay attention to contractions like do and da, practice with real sentences, and listen to native speakers to internalize common patterns. With time, choosing when to use de will become automatic and improve both your spoken and written Portuguese.
