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How to Say ‘I need a doctor’ in Portuguese

Preciso de um médico

preh-SEE-zoo duh oong MEH-dee-koo

[preh-SEE-zoo duh oong MEH-dee-koo]

💬 Usage Tip: De + um stays separate here: de um médico. Portuguese contracts many little words, but not every combination contracts.

Phrase Breakdown

Preciso

[preh-SEE-zoo]

I need

First-person singular of 'precisar,' used to express necessity.

Example

A palavra "preciso" aparece em "Só preciso de mudar..."

The word "preciso" appears in "I just need to change..."

de um médico

duh oong MEH-dee-koo

a doctor

'De um' often blends into 'dum'. 'Médico' means 'doctor' and is stressed on the first syllable: 'MEH-dee-ku'.

Example

Chamem um médico!

Call a doctor!

Words in this phrase

[duh]

A preposition meaning "of" or "for," depending on context.

Example

Falámos de carreira durante o intervalo.

We talked about career matters during the break.

[oong]

An indefinite article used before a masculine singular noun.

Example

Em «um» prazer, o artigo introduz a expressão educada.

In “a” pleasure, the article introduces the polite expression.

médico

[MEH-dee-koo]

doctor

A medical doctor; also an adjective meaning 'medical'.

Example

O médico chega às dez.

The doctor arrives at ten.

Guides for Portuguese learners

The Portuguese You Actually Need in Your First Month in PortugalThe European Portuguese phrases for your first weeks in Portugal: paperwork, renting a flat, the bank, the health centre, cafés, trains and your new neighbours.

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