In Brazilian Portuguese, some constructions that use prepositionsNo definition set for prepositionsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. like a(to, of), de(from), and em(in) can be a bit confusing. These prepositions can follow verbsNo definition set for verbsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., nounsNo definition set for nounsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., adjectivesNo definition set for adjectivesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., and adverbsNo definition set for adverbsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., and slightly change their meanings or alter the structure of the rest of the sentence.
For example, the adjective acostumado (accustomed, used to) needs a different preposition, depending on whether it’s used before an infinitiveNo definition set for infinitiveLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. verb or a noun phraseNo definition set for noun phraseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum..
Before an infinitive verb, we use the preposition a(to):
Estou acostumado a acordar cedo.
I am accustomed to waking up early.
Before a noun phrase or pronounNo definition set for pronounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., we use com(with):
Estou acostumado com o tempo frio.
I am accustomed to the cold weather.
The presence of prepositions may also change the meaning of the word they accompany. For instance, the verb assistir:
when followed by the preposition a(to, of) means “to watch” or “to witness,” as in:
Assistimos ao final da novela ontem.
We watched the end of the soap opera yesterday.
without the preposition a, it means “to assist,” as in:
As enfermeiras assistiram o paciente.
The nurses assisted the patient.
Prepositions play a crucial role in shaping the overall structure and meaning of sentences. In this post you will learn how verbs, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs combined with prepositions can enhance one’s ability to communicate effectively in Brazilian Portuguese and to construct coherent and meaningful sentences in a variety of contexts. Let’s start!
In Brazilian Portuguese, verbs are often accompanied by prepositions that help convey their specific meaning and establish their relationship with other parts of the sentence.
For example, the verb viajar(to travel) is commonly followed by the preposition para(to) to indicate direction and destination, as in:
Maria viaja para o Brasil na semana que vem.
Maria travels to Brazil next week.
Similarly, the verb falar(to speak) can be followed by com(with) to indicate communication with someone, as in:
Ele fala com o professor.
He speaks with the teacher.
But falar can also be used with de(from, of) with the meaning of “to talk about” someone or something, as in:
Eles falam da Sofia.
They talk about Sofia.
Below, we’ve handpicked some verbs in Brazilian Portuguese, that demonstrate the ways that the presence of a preposition can impact the meaning of the verb and the structure of the rest of the sentence.
The verb aspirar a means “to aspire” or “to wish.” It can be followed by a noun, a pronoun, or a verb in the infinitive form, as in:
Roberta sempre aspirou ao sucesso.
Roberta has always aspired to success.
O time de futebol aspira a vencer o campeonato.
The football team aspires to win the championship.
The preposition a can be combined with the definite articles o, a, os, as(the) , as in the example above with aspirou ao sucesso. It can also combine with the demonstrative pronouns and adjectives aquele, aquela, aquilo(that).
Curious to know how this preposition is combined with these words? Take a look at this list of contractions with a to find out more.
However, it is also possible to use the verb aspirar without a preposition if it is followed by a noun or pronoun. In this case, it means “to vacuum” or “to breathe”:
Ela aspirou a casa ontem.
She vacuumed the house yesterday.
Não conseguimos mais aspirar esse ar poluído da cidade.
We can no longer suck in this polluted air from the city.
The verb precisar de(to need) means “to need” something when it is followed by a noun or a pronoun:
Eu preciso de tempo para terminar a comida.
I need time to finish the food.
Eu preciso de você agora.
I need you now.
The preposition de can also be combined with the definite articles o, a, os, as(the), the subject pronouns ele(he, it), ela(she, it), eles, elas(they), and the demonstrative pronouns and adjectives esse, essa, isso(this), este, esta, isto(this) and aquele, aquela, aquilo(that).
Carlos precisa daquele documento lá.
Carlos needs that document over there.
Take a look at this list of contractions with de to see how to combine the preposition de with the words mentioned above.
In Brazilian Portuguese, when precisar is not followed by the preposition de, it means “to need to do something.” In this case, it is always accompanied by a verb in the infinitive form, as in the example below:
Armando e Carolina precisam aprender inglês.
Armando and Carolina need to learn English.
The verb necessitar is synonym of precisar, functioning in the same way. It can be followed by the preposition de + a noun/pronoun to mean “to need something,” or it can be used with no preposition + infinitive verb to mean “to need to do something.”
Emanuela necessita de todos os documentos.
Emanuela needs all the documents.
Emanuela necessita falar com você.
Emanuela needs to talk to you.
The phrase acreditar em means “to believe in” something or in somebody. The verb acreditar is always accompanied by this preposition. Acreditar em can be followed by a noun or a pronoun, as in:
Eles acreditam em milagres.
They believe in miracles.
Eu acredito em você.
I believe in you.
The preposition em can also be combined with the definite articles o, a, os, as(the), the subject pronouns ele(he, it), ela(she, it), eles, elas(they), and the demonstrative pronouns and adjectives esse, essa, isso(this), este, esta, isto(this) and aquele, aquela, aquilo(that).
Eu acredito nas histórias contadas pelo meu pai.
I believe in the stories told by my father.
Take a look at this list of contractions with em to learn more.
Here is a list of other verbs followed by prepositions with their meanings and examples.
In Brazilian Portuguese, the relationship between nouns and prepositions plays a significant role in shaping the meaning and structure of sentences. Nouns can be accompanied by prepositions, to more precisely express their meaning or how they are related to other parts of the sentence.
For example, in o carro do meu pai(my father's car), the use of de(from, of) after the noun carro(car) indicates that we are talking about possession.
Below, we’ve selected some nouns followed by prepositions in Brazilian Portuguese, that can help you explore the specific meanings and structure that arise when they are combined.
As we saw in the example given above, the preposition de(of) can be used after a noun when we are talking about possession. For example, amigo de(friend of) is used before the possessor of the friend. The preposition de in this construction is followed by a noun or pronoun.
O amigo do Paulo mora em São Paulo.
Paulo’s friend lives in São Paulo.
The preposition de after a noun, most often comes before a second noun that indicates the possessor, origin, or type.
The phrase café de can be used in a few different ways:
café de + owner = “the coffee of” + owner
This follows the possessive meaning of noun + de discussed above.
café de + time of day
Though the combination of a noun + de is most often used in discussions of possession, when de follows nouns that can be “taken” at different times of day (in particular, café), this preposition can also tell you whether it’s your morning coffee, afternoon coffee, or evening coffee. For example:
Adoro tomar café de manhã.
I love to drink coffee in the morning.
In this case, de manhã can be replaced by de tarde / à tarde(in the afternoon) or de noite / à noite(in the evening, at night).
café da manhã
The whole expression café da manhã has an idiomatic different meaning – it is used to refer to breakfast.
Adoro tomar café da manhã no Brasil.
I love to have breakfast in Brazil.
Take a look at this list here with other nouns followed by prepositions and their meanings.
The combination of the noun doutor(doctor) and the preposition em(in) is used to indicate someone's academic degree. Specifically, it is used to describe a person who has earned a doctoral degree in a particular field of study, and is always followed by a noun. For example:
Doutor em Medicina
Doctor of Medicine
Doutor em Engenharia
Doctor of Engineering
Doutor em Psicologia
Doctor of Psychology
Adjectives play a crucial role in describing and adding detail to nouns, and we can often refine their meaning by using them together with certain prepositions. For instance, below we will explore the adjective livre(free), which can be followed by the preposition de(from, of) or para(to).
As we will see, different adjective + preposition combinations will require different sentence structures and lend different meanings to the adjective or sentence as a whole.
For a more general overview of adjectives, check out our post on how to use adjectives in Brazilian Portuguese.
The adjective livre(free) can be combined with either de(from, of) or para(to), and the preposition you use will influence both the meaning of the adjective and the structure of the sentence.
Livre de has the same meaning as sem(without), and is used to indicate the absence or lack of something. Notice in the examples below that livre de is followed by a noun:
livre de glúten = sem glúten
gluten-free
livre de culpa = sem culpa
guilt-free
livre de preocupações = sem preocupações
free from worries
And here is an example of livre de followed by a pronoun:
Ela está livre deles.
Ela está livre deles.
Livre para means “free to.” Notice in the examples below that livre para is followed by a verb in the infinitive form.
livre para sair = autorizado(a) a sair
free to leave
livre para falar = permitido(a) a falar
free to speak
livre para escolher = autorizado(a) a escolher
free to choose
Livre para is synonymous with autorizado(a) a(authorized to) or permitido(a) a(allowed to), which are adjectives followed by the preposition a(to), instead.
In Brazilian Portuguese, the adjective adaptado(a)(adapted) can be followed by the preposition a(to) or the preposition de(from, of), forming two different constructions with distinct meanings.
Adaptado(a) a is used to express that something or someone is adapted to a particular situation, environment, or condition. It indicates that the subject has undergone changes or modifications to fit or function effectively in a given context. As the example below shows, adaptado(a) a is often followed by a noun.
Fabiana está adaptada ao ritmo acelerado da cidade.
Fabiana is adapted to the fast pace of the city.
It is common in everyday language to hear people using adaptado(a) com. However, this type of construction should be avoided in favor of adaptado(a) a.
❌ Fabiana está adaptada com o ritmo acelerado da cidade.
Fabiana is adapted with the fast pace of the city.
Adaptado(a) de is used to express that something or someone has been adapted or derived from a specific source or origin. It indicates that the noun it describes has undergone changes or transformations based on a pre-existing model or influence. Adaptado(a) de is also followed by a noun.
Esse filme é adaptado de um livro famoso.
This movie is adapted from a famous book.
In Brazilian Portuguese, adaptado(a) de is not typically followed by an infinitive verb. If you want to express that someone is adapted to an action or situation, you can use adaptado(a) a + infinitive or, most often, adaptado(a) para + infinitive.
Ela está adaptada a trabalhar em ambientes desafiadores.
She is adapted to working in challenging environments.
O projeto foi adaptado para atender às necessidades do cliente.
The project was adapted to meet the client's needs.
The preposition a can be interchangeable with para in this case. If you want to know more, take a look at our post about prepositions of movement.
The phrase interessado(a) em means “interested in.” This phrase is the most common use of the adjective interessado(a), and it can come before a noun or an infinitive verb:
Ana está sempre interessada em novas tecnologias.
José está interessado em aprender a tocar violão.
José is interested in learning to play guitar.
Interessado(a) por is often used in everyday informal language instead of interessado(a) em. Interessado(a) por expresses interest in a specific subject or topic and can also be followed by a noun or an infinitive verb.
Susie está interessada por questões ambientais.
Susie is interested in environmental issues.
Rodrigo está interessado por conhecer novas culturas.
Rodrigo is interested in getting to know new cultures.
Here is a list with more adjectives followed by prepositions and their meanings.
In Brazilian Portuguese, adverbs followed by prepositions add depth and precision to the language, allowing for more nuanced expressions. These combinations help convey specific meanings. For example, the adverb bem(well) can be followed by the preposition com(with), giving rise to bem com, which means “be fine with” or “well along with,” as in:
Estou bem com a equipe de trabalho.
I am fine with the work team.
Estou me dando bem com a equipe de trabalho.
I am getting along well with the work team.
Let’s now take a look at other examples of adverbs followed by prepositions and their particular meanings when used with these prepositions.
The adverb apenas(only, just) can be combined with the preposition com(with) to create the phrase apenas com(just with) which is followed by a noun. When used together, it indicates that something is happening exclusively in the presence or company of someone or something else.
Ela conseguiu completar o projeto apenas com sua equipe.
She managed to complete the project only with her team.
When used without a preposition, apenas means “only” and refers to an obstacle or difficulty, or something done in a painful or exhaustive way. In this case, it is often followed by an adverb of time, such as agora(now).
Apenas agora consegui terminar o que tinha pra fazer.
Only now I was able to finish what I had to do.
Apenas without a preposition can also be used to mean exclusivity and is placed before a noun or a pronoun.
Apenas o João sabe falar português.
Only João knows how to speak portuguese.
The combination of the adverb longe(far) with the preposition de(from), longe de, means “far from.” Longe de can be followed by a noun, pronoun or even another adverb, such as aqui(here).
A praia está longe de casa.
The beach is far from home.
A praia está longe daqui.
The beach is far from here.
Longe can also be used without a preposition, especially if the implied spatial reference is from aqui(from here). In this case, you can also say:
A praia está longe.
The beach is far (away from here).
The adverb junto(together, close) can be combined with the prepositions a(to) or de(from) to create the synonymous expressions junto a and junto de, which mean “close to,” or “next to.” These are commonly followed by a noun:
A loja foi aberta junto ao banco.
The store was open close to the bank.
A casa do Marcelo fica junto do rio.
Marcelo’s house is near the river.
Junto a and junto de are synonymous with two other phrases, perto de(close to) and ao lado de(next to), which are also commonly used to describe spatial proximity or physical closeness.
The construction junto com(together with) is redundant and should be avoided. Instead, just use com.
Eu costumava me sentar junto com a Maria na escola.
I used to sit with Maria at school.
Junto can also be used without a preposition. However, in this case, it functions as an adjective, agreeing in gender and number with the noun or pronoun it refers to.
Rodrigo e eu fomos juntos ao show.
Rodrigo and I went together to the show.
Take a look at other examples of adverbs followed by prepositions and their meanings.
In this post, we saw that in Brazilian Portuguese, the construction of verbs, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs with prepositions enriches the language, adding depth and precision to sentences. The preposition used with the verb, noun, adjective, or adverb can change the sentence structure and often provides a slight difference in meaning. Sometimes the same word can be followed by more than one preposition — or no preposition at all — lending the sentence a different meaning or structure. We mentioned that:
When verbs are followed by prepositions, they create unique meanings and often indicate specific actions or relationships.
Nouns followed by prepositions convey possession, location, or other relationships, providing context to the sentence.
Adjectives followed by prepositions add detail and enhance the description of nouns, expressing characteristics and emotions.
Adverbs combined with prepositions specify spatial relationships, manner of actions, or other circumstances.
Now, practice using prepositions in Brazilian Portuguese with our activity. Have fun!
