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Portuguese Phrase

Preciso marcar um horário.

/pɾeˈsi.zu maʁˈkaʁ ũ ˈo.ɾa.ɾju/
Meaning"I need to schedule an appointment."
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Meaning

The speaker is stating that they need to set a specific time for something—usually a meeting, a doctor’s visit, or any appointment. It conveys a clear, polite request to arrange a time slot.

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When to use

Use this sentence when you are contacting a service, a professional, or a friend to arrange a meeting or appointment. It works both in formal contexts (calling a clinic) and informal ones (asking a colleague).

✦Grammar Breakdown

Precisomarcarumhorário.

1

Preciso (verbo precisar)

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

2

Marcar (infinitivo)

The infinitive ‘marcar’ means ‘to book / to schedule’. After ‘preciso’, the infinitive is used without a preposition.

3

Um horário (artigo + substantivo)

‘Um’ is the indefinite article; ‘horário’ is a masculine noun meaning ‘time slot’ or ‘appointment time’. The article is required in this construction.

🗨In Conversation

A

Preciso marcar um horário para a consulta de fisioterapia.

I need to schedule a time for the physiotherapy session.

Claro, temos vagas na terça às 15h ou na quinta às 10h. Qual prefere?

Sure, we have openings on Tuesday at 3 p.m. or Thursday at 10 a.m. Which do you prefer?

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Preciso de marcar um horário.

    ‘Preciso’ does not take the preposition ‘de’ before an infinitive.

  • Preciso marcar um hora.

    Use ‘horário’ (time slot) instead of ‘hora’ when you’re booking an appointment.

  • Preciso marcar horário.

    The indefinite article ‘um’ is required; omitting it sounds unnatural.

↔Alternatives

  • Preciso agendar um horário.

    I need to book a time slot.

  • Quero marcar um horário.

    I want to set an appointment.

  • Preciso marcar um compromisso.

    I need to arrange a meeting.

pt

Cultural Tip

In Brazil it’s common to call the place directly or use online booking platforms. Adding ‘por favor’ makes the request sound even more courteous: ‘Preciso marcar um horário, por favor.’ Also, ‘horário’ refers to a specific time slot, whereas ‘hora’ is just the hour of the day, so use ‘horário’ when you need a booked slot.