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Portuguese Phrase

Preciso achar um carregador.

/pɾeˈsi.zu aˈʃaɾ ũ ka.ɾeˈɡa.doɾ/
Meaning"I need to find a charger."
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Meaning

Literally, ‘I need to find a charger.’ It is used when you are looking for a device to charge a phone, tablet, or any electronic gadget. The phrase is informal and common in everyday conversation.

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When to use

Use this sentence when you’re in a coffee shop, airport, or a friend’s house and realize your battery is low. It works both for asking for help and stating your own need.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Precisoacharumcarregador

1

Preciso (verbo precisar)

‘Preciso’ is the first‑person singular present of ‘precisar’, meaning ‘I need’. It functions as a modal verb and is followed by an infinitive.

2

Achar (infinitivo)

The infinitive ‘achar’ means ‘to find’ or ‘to get’. After ‘preciso’, the infinitive expresses the action needed.

3

Um (artigo indefinido)

‘Um’ is the masculine singular indefinite article, equivalent to ‘a’ or ‘an’ in English.

4

Carregador (substantivo masculino)

‘Carregador’ means ‘charger’, typically for phones, laptops, etc. It is a masculine noun, so it takes ‘um’.

🗨In Conversation

A

Preciso achar um carregador. Meu celular está quase sem bateria.

I need to find a charger. My phone is almost out of battery.

Tem um carregador na mesa ao lado da tomada.

There’s a charger on the table next to the outlet.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Preciso achar um carregador

    Avoid omitting the period; in Portuguese, the sentence ends with a period.

  • Preciso encontrar um carregador.

    ‘Achar’ can be replaced with ‘encontrar’, but ‘achar’ is more colloquial; using ‘encontrar’ sounds slightly more formal.

  • Preciso de achar um carregador.

    Do not use ‘preciso de achar’, because ‘precisar’ already takes the infinitive directly.

↔Alternatives

  • Preciso de um carregador.

    I need a charger.

  • Estou precisando achar um carregador.

    I’m needing to find a charger.

  • Será que tem um carregador aqui?

    Is there a charger here?

pt

Cultural Tip

In Brazil, it’s common to ask for a charger by saying ‘tem um carregador?’ or ‘alguém tem um carregador?’ rather than using the full ‘preciso achar’. Also, many public places have shared charging stations, so you might hear ‘onde fica a estação de carregamento?’