Portuguese Phrase
Preciso de um advogado pra isso?
Meaning
The speaker is asking whether a lawyer is necessary for the matter at hand. It can also be used rhetorically to express surprise that legal help might be required.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are discussing a legal problem, a contract, a dispute, or any situation where professional legal advice might be needed. It works well in informal conversations with friends, family, or colleagues.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Precisodeumadvogadopraisso?
Preciso (verbo precisar)
‘Preciso’ is the first‑person singular present of ‘precisar’, meaning ‘to need’. It is used here as a statement that can become a question with intonation.
de + substantivo
The verb ‘precisar’ is followed by the preposition ‘de’ when the thing needed is a noun.
um (artigo indefinido)
Indefinite article ‘um’ agrees in gender and number with the masculine noun ‘advogado’.
pra (contração de para)
‘pra’ is the colloquial contraction of ‘para’, used in informal spoken Portuguese.
isso (pronome demonstrativo)
‘isso’ points to a situation or matter previously mentioned; it functions as a neuter demonstrative pronoun.
Interrogação por entonação
Even without a verb‑subject inversion, a rising intonation or a question mark turns the statement into a question.
🗨In Conversation
Preciso de um advogado pra isso?
Do I need a lawyer for this?
Melhor chamar um, nunca se sabe.
Better call one, you never know.
✕Common Mistakes
Preciso de um advogado por isso?
‘Por’ does not replace ‘para’ after ‘preciso de’; it changes the meaning to ‘because of’ rather than ‘for’.
Preciso de advogado pra isso?
Leaving out the indefinite article sounds unnatural; you need ‘um’ before a singular countable noun.
Preciso de um advogado pra isso?
In formal writing or when speaking to authority figures, use ‘para’ instead of the colloquial ‘pra’.
↔Alternatives
Preciso de um advogado para isso?
Do I need a lawyer for this?
Será que preciso de um advogado?
Do I need a lawyer?
Preciso contratar um advogado para isso.
I need to hire a lawyer for this.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, ‘advogado’ is the standard term for a lawyer, but in informal speech you’ll often hear ‘pra’ instead of the more formal ‘para’. If you’re speaking with a professional (e.g., a judge or a senior lawyer), switch to the formal ‘para’ and avoid contractions. Also, note that asking for legal help directly can be seen as serious, so the tone should match the situation.