Portuguese Phrase
Precisamos de detergente para a roupa.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘We need detergent for the clothes.’ It is a straightforward way to state a household necessity, usually before going shopping or when planning a laundry day.
When to use
Use this phrase when you notice you’re out of laundry detergent, when you’re making a shopping list, or when you’re discussing household chores with family or roommates.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Precisamosdedetergenteparaaroupa
Precisamos
First‑person plural present of the verb precisar (to need). It agrees with the subject ‘nós’ which is often omitted.
de + noun
After precisar, the preposition de introduces the thing that is needed.
detergente
A masculine noun meaning ‘detergent’; can be liquid or powder.
para + noun
The preposition para indicates purpose: ‘for the clothes’.
a roupa
Definite article a + noun roupa (clothes). In a laundry context it means the items you will wash.
🗨In Conversation
Precisamos de detergente para a roupa.
We need detergent for the clothes.
Vou comprar na próxima ida ao supermercado.
I’ll buy it on the next trip to the supermarket.
✕Common Mistakes
Precisamos o detergente para a roupa.
After precisar you use de, not the definite article o.
Precisamos de detergente da roupa.
The correct preposition is para to express purpose, not de.
Precisamos precisar de detergente para a roupa.
Avoid repeating the verb; the sentence is already complete.
↔Alternatives
Precisamos comprar detergente para lavar a roupa.
We need to buy detergent to wash the clothes.
Precisamos de sabão em pó para a roupa.
We need powder soap for the clothes.
Falta detergente para a roupa.
We’re out of detergent for the clothes.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, people often differentiate between ‘detergente líquido’ (liquid detergent) and ‘sabão em pó’ (powder detergent). The word roupa can refer to any clothing, but in a laundry context it specifically means the items you’ll wash. When speaking to a store clerk, you can say ‘detergente para roupa’ or simply ‘detergente’ and they’ll understand you mean laundry detergent.