precisar

Senses

1. 1.

   to need

   to require something as a necessity

2. 2.

   to need to (do something)

   to be obliged or required to perform an action

3. 3.

   to specify; to clarify

   to make precise or give exact details about something

4. 4.

   to aim at; to be accurate

   to hit a target or achieve exactness (less common in everyday PT-BR)

Examples

• "Eu preciso de ajuda para resolver este problema."

  I need help to solve this problem.

• "Você precisa estudar mais para passar no exame."

  You need to study more to pass the exam.

• "Preciso esclarecer alguns pontos da proposta."

  I need to clarify some points of the proposal.

Usage

Commonly used with the preposition "de" when expressing need for a noun (precisar de algo). When followed by an infinitive, no preposition is needed (precisar fazer algo). "Precisar" is one of the most frequent verbs in Brazilian Portuguese and is used in both formal and informal contexts. Common mistake: using "precisar que" instead of simply "precisar de" or an infinitive construction.