Portuguese Phrase
Precisamos decidir agora.
Meaning
‘We need to decide now.’ The sentence conveys a sense of urgency and collective responsibility, indicating that a decision must be taken immediately.
When to use
Use it in meetings, group projects, or any situation where a team must reach a quick decision—e.g., before a deadline, during a negotiation, or when a problem suddenly arises.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Precisamosdecidiragora.
Precisamos
First‑person plural present of the verb precisar (to need). It functions like ‘we need’ and is followed directly by an infinitive.
decidir
Infinitive verb meaning ‘to decide’. After precisar, the infinitive does not take a preposition.
agora
Adverb of time meaning ‘now’; placed after the infinitive for emphasis.
🗨In Conversation
Precisamos decidir agora.
We need to decide now.
Concordo, vamos escolher a proposta B.
I agree, let's choose proposal B.
✕Common Mistakes
Precisamos de decidir agora.
Do not insert the preposition de after precisar; the verb already governs the infinitive directly.
Precisamos decidir agora?
The sentence is a statement, not a question; using a question mark changes the meaning.
Precisamos decidir já.
While já means ‘already’, using it instead of agora shifts the nuance to ‘by now’ rather than ‘right this moment’.
↔Alternatives
Temos que decidir agora.
We have to decide now.
Precisamos tomar uma decisão agora.
We need to make a decision now.
É preciso decidir agora.
It is necessary to decide now.
Cultural Tip
In Brazilian Portuguese, precisar + infinitive is the most neutral way to express ‘need to’. Temos que is slightly more informal and can sound a bit more urgent. Avoid adding a preposition after precisar (e.g., precisamos de decidir) – it is grammatically incorrect. Also, the adverb agora can be omitted if the context already implies immediacy, but keeping it adds emphasis.