This page in your language

فارسی

العربية

Deutsch

Español

Français

日本語

한국어

Português

中文

हिन्दी

Home
Learn
Portuguese
Vocabulary
urgentemente

A2 adverb #6,500 most common 7 min read

urgentemente

Top 6,500

Practice it Examples Notes & Tips urgentemente in 30 Seconds

Explanation urgentemente in your Level:

At the A1 level, you are just starting to learn how to express basic needs. While 'urgentemente' is a long word, its meaning is very clear because it looks like 'urgently'. You should use it when you need something right now. For example, if you are lost or need a bathroom, you can say 'Preciso de ajuda urgentemente'. At this level, don't worry about complex grammar; just focus on placing the word at the end of your request to show that it is important. It is a 'power word' that helps people understand you need help even if your other Portuguese words are not perfect. Think of it as a way to add '!!!!' to your sentence. You will mostly see this in signs or hear it in very clear, simple instructions in public places like airports or train stations.

At the A2 level, you can begin to use 'urgentemente' more naturally in your sentences. You are learning how to describe your daily life and work. You can use this word to tell a coworker that a task is important: 'Você pode enviar o e-mail urgentemente?'. You should also notice that it ends in '-mente', which is how many adverbs are formed in Portuguese. This is a great time to start recognizing the pattern: take an adjective like 'urgente', add 'mente', and you get the adverb. You will encounter this word in simple news stories or in doctor's appointments. It's important to differentiate it from 'rápido' (fast). 'Rápido' is about speed, but 'urgentemente' is about how much the situation matters. Use it when there is a problem that needs a solution right away.

At the B1 level, you have the vocabulary to explain *why* something is needed 'urgentemente'. You can connect ideas. For example: 'O cano quebrou e precisamos de um encanador urgentemente para não alagar a casa.' (The pipe broke and we need a plumber urgently so the house doesn't flood). You should also be comfortable using it in different positions in a sentence for emphasis. You will start to hear it in more complex social situations, like someone expressing a political opinion or a community need. You should also be able to recognize synonyms like 'com urgência' and know that 'urgentemente' sounds slightly more formal. In professional emails, this is your go-to word for setting deadlines. You are moving beyond just 'needing help' to 'managing situations' using this adverb.

At the B2 level, you should use 'urgentemente' with precision in both formal and informal contexts. You understand that this word carries a certain weight and can affect the tone of a conversation. You might use it in a debate: 'Precisamos reformar o sistema de saúde urgentemente.' You are also expected to use it correctly with various verb tenses, including the subjunctive. For example: 'É necessário que eles resolvam isso urgentemente.' You should be able to distinguish between 'urgentemente' and 'imediatamente' (immediately), recognizing that 'urgentemente' implies a qualitative necessity while 'imediatamente' is more about the temporal sequence. You will encounter the word in literature, detailed news reports, and professional legal or medical documents where the consequences of delay are explicitly stated.

At the C1 level, you use 'urgentemente' to add rhetorical weight to your speech and writing. You are aware of the subtle nuances it brings to a sentence. You might use it to express social or philosophical imperatives. Your use of the word is no longer just about 'speed' but about 'priority' in a complex system of values. You can use it in highly formal settings, such as a keynote speech or a legal brief, and you understand how to balance it with other adverbs to create a sophisticated rhythm in your prose. You are also familiar with less common synonyms like 'prementemente' and can choose the best word for the specific 'flavor' of urgency you want to convey. You understand the cultural implications—how 'urgency' might be perceived differently in a business meeting in São Paulo versus a village in the interior of Portugal.

At the C2 level, you have a complete mastery of 'urgentemente'. You can use it with irony, for emphasis, or within complex metaphorical structures. You understand its historical etymology and how its usage has evolved in different Lusophone countries. You can detect when a speaker is using 'urgentemente' to manipulate a situation or create a false sense of crisis. Your writing uses the word as a tool for precision, often in contexts where the 'urgency' is abstract—such as the urgent need for a shift in cultural paradigms or the urgent requirement for a new scientific framework. You are capable of critiquing texts that use the word, identifying whether it is used effectively or as a cliché. You move seamlessly between 'urgentemente', 'com a máxima urgência', and other idiomatic expressions, choosing the one that perfectly fits the stylistic demands of the moment.

Practice it Examples Notes & Tips

urgentemente in 30 Seconds

Urgientemente is the Portuguese adverb for 'urgently', used to signal high priority.
It is formed from the adjective 'urgente' plus the suffix '-mente'.
Commonly placed after the verb, it is essential for emergencies and business.
It is invariable, meaning it never changes its form for gender or number.

The Portuguese word urgentemente is an adverb of manner that translates directly to 'urgently' in English. It is derived from the adjective urgente (urgent) with the addition of the suffix -mente, which is the Portuguese equivalent of the English suffix '-ly'. This word is essential for communicating a high level of priority, necessity, or the need for immediate action. Whether you are in a medical emergency, dealing with a critical business deadline, or simply needing a quick response from a friend, urgentemente conveys that time is of the essence and delays are not acceptable.

Morphology: The word is formed by taking the feminine form of the adjective (though urgente is invariable in gender) and adding the suffix -mente. This is the standard way to form adverbs in Portuguese.
Semantic Range: It covers everything from life-threatening situations to bureaucratic requirements and social imperatives. It implies that the current state of affairs cannot continue without intervention.

Precisamos de um médico urgentemente.

In daily life, you will hear this word in professional settings when a manager needs a report, or in domestic settings when a repair is needed. It carries a certain weight; using it too often for trivial matters can lead to 'the boy who cried wolf' syndrome, but in the right context, it is the most effective way to grab someone's attention and force a prioritization of your request. It is more formal than saying agora (now) or já (already/now), as it highlights the 'urgency' rather than just the 'time'.

Urgentemente, por favor, envie os documentos.

Register: It is appropriate for both formal writing and spoken conversation. In very informal speech, people might prefer com urgência or pra ontem (for yesterday).

Understanding the gravity of urgentemente allows learners to navigate high-stakes environments in Lusophone countries. For example, if you are at a pharmacy and need a specific medication for an acute symptom, using this word ensures the pharmacist understands the severity. Similarly, in a business email, it signals that a project is at a critical juncture. It is a word of action, demand, and significance.

Using urgentemente correctly involves understanding its placement and its relationship with verbs. As an adverb, its primary job is to modify a verb, telling the listener how the action must be performed—in this case, with extreme speed and priority.

Post-Verbal Position: In most standard sentences, urgentemente follows the verb it modifies. This is the most natural-sounding placement for general requests.

O diretor quer falar com você urgentemente.

When used with complex verb phrases (auxiliary verb + main verb), the adverb can appear between the two or after the main verb. Placing it after the main verb is generally more common in spoken Portuguese.

Nós temos que resolver isso urgentemente.

Emphasis and Sentence-Initial Placement: If you start a sentence with urgentemente, you are providing a strong signal of alarm or high importance. This is often followed by a comma.

Urgentemente, o governo deve implementar novas medidas econômicas.

It is also frequently paired with the verb precisar (to need). Because precisar requires the preposition de when followed by a noun, the adverb usually goes at the end of the clause.

Ela precisa de ajuda urgentemente.

Negation: It is rare to use urgentemente in a negative sentence (e.g., 'I don't need it urgently') because the concept of urgency is inherently positive in its demand. Instead, one might say não é urgente (it's not urgent).

In the real world, urgentemente is a staple of several specific environments. If you are living or traveling in a Portuguese-speaking country, you will encounter it in places where decisions must be made quickly.

The Workplace: In the corporate culture of Brazil or Portugal, 'urgentemente' is the ultimate 'ASAP'. You'll see it in subject lines of emails: 'Assunto: Resolver este contrato urgentemente'. It indicates that other tasks should be set aside.

Solicitamos sua presença na sala de reuniões urgentemente.

Another common place is the news and media. Journalists use it to describe government actions or environmental crises. You might hear a news anchor say that a city needs supplies urgentemente after a natural disaster. It adds a sense of drama and reality to the reporting.

Medical and Emergency Services: If you call emergency services (192 in Brazil, 112 in Portugal), you will likely use this word. 'Preciso de uma ambulância urgentemente' (I need an ambulance urgently) is a critical phrase.

O paciente deve ser operado urgentemente.

In public transportation, you might hear announcements regarding delays or security issues that need to be addressed urgentemente. It is a word that pierces through the background noise of daily life to signal that something is wrong or requires immediate attention.

While urgentemente is a straightforward adverb, English speakers and even native learners often make specific errors in its application and spelling.

Spelling Errors: One of the most frequent mistakes is adding an extra 'e' or changing the 'g' to a 'j'. Remember: it comes from 'urgente'. So it's 'urgente' + 'mente'. There is no 'i' (like 'urgiently' in a misspelling of English) and no 'j'.

Errado: urjentemente / urgentiemente
Correto: urgentemente.

Another common mistake is confusing the adverb with the adjective. In English, we sometimes use 'urgent' as an adverb in informal speech ('I need that urgent'). In Portuguese, you cannot say 'Eu preciso disso urgente'. While you might hear it in very informal Brazilian slang, it is grammatically incorrect. You must use urgentemente or the phrase com urgência.

Overuse: Using 'urgentemente' for things that are merely 'important' can make you sound demanding or stressed. Use 'importante' or 'assim que possível' (as soon as possible) for lower-priority items.

Finally, learners sometimes struggle with the nasal 'en' sound in the middle of the word. It is not 'ur-gent-e-men-te' with hard 'n' sounds, but rather nasal vowels. Practice saying 'ur-zhen-te-men-te' with the 'en' sounding like the 'an' in the English word 'sang' but nasalized.

To expand your vocabulary beyond urgentemente, it is helpful to look at synonyms and related expressions that vary in intensity and formality.

Imediatamente: This means 'immediately'. While 'urgentemente' implies a need based on importance, 'imediatamente' focuses strictly on the timeline—right now, without any delay.
Com urgência: This is a prepositional phrase that functions exactly like the adverb. It is very common in spoken Portuguese. 'Preciso disso com urgência' is often preferred over 'urgentemente' in casual talk.

Comparação:
1. Ligue urgentemente (Focus on the gravity).
2. Ligue imediatamente (Focus on the instant action).

If you want to sound more formal or literary, you might use prementemente (pressingly) or impreterivelmente (unavoidably/without fail). These are rare in daily conversation but appear in legal or high-level academic texts.

Rápido / Rapidamente: 'Quickly'. This describes the speed of the action but doesn't necessarily carry the 'importance' or 'necessity' that 'urgentemente' does.

Choosing between these depends on your goal. Use urgentemente when there is a risk or a major consequence if the action isn't taken. Use rapidamente when you just want someone to move fast.

How Formal Is It?

Fun Fact

The suffix '-mente' started as a separate word in Latin. Over centuries, it fused with adjectives to create the standard adverbial form in almost all Romance languages (Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, French).

Pronunciation Guide

UK /uɾ.ʒẽ.tə.ˈmẽ.tə/

US /uɾ.ʒẽ.tʃi.ˈmẽ.tʃi/

The primary stress is on the penultimate syllable 'men'. ur-gen-te-MEN-te.

Rhymes With

infelizmente claramente rapidamente finalmente geralmente fortemente naturalmente recentemente

Common Errors

Pronouncing the 'g' as a hard 'g' (like 'goat') instead of a soft 'zh' sound.
Failing to nasalize the 'en' sounds, making them sound like 'en' in 'pen'.
Stressing the wrong syllable, like 'UR-gentemente'.
Pronouncing the final 'e' too strongly in European Portuguese.
Adding an extra syllable like 'urgenti-mente'.

Difficulty Rating

Reading 1/5

Very easy due to its similarity to the English word 'urgently'.

Writing 2/5

Easy, but watch the spelling of the '-mente' suffix and the 'g'.

Speaking 3/5

Moderate due to the nasal vowels and the length of the word.

Listening 2/5

Easy to recognize in context.

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

Urgente Mente Precisar Agora Ajuda

Learn Next

Imediatamente Recentemente Provavelmente Certamente Infelizmente

Advanced

Prementemente Impreterivelmente Paulatinamente Simultaneamente

Grammar to Know

Adverb Formation with -mente

Feliz -> Felizmente; Urgente -> Urgentemente.

Adverb Placement

Usually follows the verb: 'Ele correu urgentemente'.

Invariability of Adverbs

'Elas saíram urgentemente' (The adverb does not become plural).

Nasal Vowels

The 'en' in 'urgentemente' is a nasal vowel /ẽ/.

Adverbs of Manner

'Urgentemente' describes *how* an action is done.

Examples by Level

Eu preciso de água urgentemente.

I need water urgently.

Simple subject + verb + noun + adverb.

Chame a polícia urgentemente!

Call the police urgently!

Imperative verb form.

Onde é o hospital? É urgentemente.

Where is the hospital? It is urgent (urgently needed).

Using the adverb to emphasize the state of the situation.

Ajuda, urgentemente!

Help, urgently!

Short, elliptical sentence for emergency.

Preciso falar com o médico urgentemente.

I need to talk to the doctor urgently.

Infinitive construction (falar).

O táxi deve chegar urgentemente.

The taxi must arrive urgently.

Modal verb 'deve'.

Abra a porta urgentemente.

Open the door urgently.

Imperative 'Abra'.

Eu quero sair urgentemente.

I want to leave urgently.

Verb 'querer' + infinitive.

Você pode me ligar urgentemente?

Can you call me urgently?

Question with 'pode' (can).

Temos que terminar este trabalho urgentemente.

We have to finish this work urgently.

Periphrastic construction 'ter que' (have to).

O carro precisa de conserto urgentemente.

The car needs repair urgently.

Verb 'precisar' + preposition 'de'.

Por favor, responda ao e-mail urgentemente.

Please, respond to the email urgently.

Polite request with 'Por favor'.

A criança está chorando e precisa da mãe urgentemente.

The child is crying and needs the mother urgently.

Present continuous + coordinate clause.

Eles buscam um novo apartamento urgentemente.

They are looking for a new apartment urgently.

Third person plural present tense.

O professor quer os exercícios urgentemente.

The teacher wants the exercises urgently.

Direct object 'os exercícios'.

Precisamos comprar pão urgentemente.

We need to buy bread urgently.

First person plural 'precisamos'.

O vazamento na cozinha deve ser resolvido urgentemente.

The leak in the kitchen must be resolved urgently.

Passive voice 'ser resolvido'.

Se você vir o João, peça para ele me procurar urgentemente.

If you see João, ask him to look for me urgently.

Future subjunctive 'vir'.

A empresa está perdendo dinheiro e precisa mudar urgentemente.

The company is losing money and needs to change urgently.

Gerund 'perdendo'.

Urgentemente, precisamos encontrar uma solução para este problema.

Urgently, we need to find a solution to this problem.

Adverb at the start for emphasis.

O documento assinado deve ser enviado urgentemente por correio.

The signed document must be sent urgently by mail.

Past participle 'assinado' as adjective.

Ela me disse que precisava falar comigo urgentemente ontem.

She told me she needed to talk to me urgently yesterday.

Imperfect tense 'precisava' in reported speech.

Não podemos esperar; o paciente precisa de sangue urgentemente.

We cannot wait; the patient needs blood urgently.

Semicolon separating two independent clauses.

Para evitar a multa, você deve pagar a conta urgentemente.

To avoid the fine, you must pay the bill urgently.

Purpose clause with 'Para' + infinitive.

A situação política exige que tomemos medidas urgentemente.

The political situation demands that we take measures urgently.

Present subjunctive 'tomemos'.

É fundamental que a equipe se comunique urgentemente sobre os atrasos.

It is fundamental that the team communicates urgently about the delays.

Impersonal expression 'É fundamental que'.

O relatório aponta que o clima está mudando urgentemente.

The report points out that the climate is changing urgently.

Noun clause starting with 'que'.

Solicito que este processo seja analisado urgentemente pela diretoria.

I request that this process be analyzed urgently by the board.

Formal verb 'solicitar' + passive subjunctive.

Dada a gravidade do caso, o juiz agiu urgentemente.

Given the gravity of the case, the judge acted urgently.

Participial phrase 'Dada a gravidade'.

A infraestrutura da cidade precisa ser renovada urgentemente.

The city's infrastructure needs to be renewed urgently.

Passive infinitive 'ser renovada'.

O cientista enfatizou que devemos agir urgentemente para salvar a espécie.

The scientist emphasized that we must act urgently to save the species.

Reported speech with 'enfatizou'.

Embora seja difícil, precisamos enfrentar esse desafio urgentemente.

Although it is difficult, we need to face this challenge urgently.

Concessive clause with 'Embora' + subjunctive.

A obsolescência programada obriga os consumidores a substituir aparelhos urgentemente.

Planned obsolescence forces consumers to replace devices urgently.

Complex subject with abstract noun.

Torna-se imperativo que as autoridades ajam urgentemente contra a desigualdade.

It becomes imperative that authorities act urgently against inequality.

Pronominal verb 'Torna-se' + adjective + subjunctive.

A narrativa contemporânea precisa ser urgentemente desconstruída.

The contemporary narrative needs to be urgently deconstructed.

Adverb placed between auxiliary and main verb for emphasis.

O autor argumenta que a sociedade deve repensar seus valores urgentemente.

The author argues that society must rethink its values urgently.

Academic register.

A escassez de recursos hídricos exige uma intervenção estatal urgentemente.

The scarcity of water resources demands a state intervention urgently.

Formal vocabulary (escassez, hídricos, intervenção).

Caso não intervenhamos urgentemente, as consequências serão irreversíveis.

If we do not intervene urgently, the consequences will be irreversible.

Conditional 'Caso' + subjunctive.

A diplomacia internacional busca mediar o conflito urgentemente.

International diplomacy seeks to mediate the conflict urgently.

Abstract institutional subject.

É preciso, urgentemente, que haja uma reforma no código penal.

It is necessary, urgently, that there be a reform in the penal code.

Parenthetical use of the adverb.

A tessitura social brasileira demanda, urgentemente, um novo pacto ético.

The Brazilian social fabric demands, urgently, a new ethical pact.

Metaphorical use of 'tessitura social'.

Insta salientar que a crise deve ser debelada urgentemente.

It is necessary to emphasize that the crisis must be quelled urgently.

Highly formal 'Insta salientar'.

A urgência não é apenas temporal; é, urgentemente, uma questão existencial.

The urgency is not just temporal; it is, urgently, an existential question.

Philosophical wordplay with noun and adverb forms.

O clamor popular exige que se mitiguem os danos urgentemente.

The popular outcry demands that damages be mitigated urgently.

Passive voice with 'se' (se mitiguem).

A dinâmica dos mercados globais requer que nos adaptemos urgentemente.

The dynamics of global markets require us to adapt urgently.

Reflexive subjunctive 'nos adaptemos'.

A hermenêutica jurídica deve ser urgentemente revisada à luz dos novos fatos.

Legal hermeneutics must be urgently revised in light of new facts.

Specialized legal terminology.

A biosfera clama urgentemente por uma mudança de paradigma produtivo.

The biosphere cries out urgently for a change in the productive paradigm.

Personification of the 'biosfera'.

Sob a égide da necessidade, agimos urgentemente para preservar o legado.

Under the aegis of necessity, we acted urgently to preserve the legacy.

Prepositional phrase 'Sob a égide de'.

Common Collocations

Precisar urgentemente

Resolver urgentemente

Ligar urgentemente

Agir urgentemente

Enviar urgentemente

Pedir urgentemente

Mudar urgentemente

Atender urgentemente

Sair urgentemente

Informar urgentemente

Common Phrases

Tratar urgentemente

— To deal with something as a priority. Often used in medical or administrative contexts.

Esse caso deve ser tratado urgentemente.

Convocar urgentemente

— To call for a meeting or assembly immediately. Used in organizations.

O conselho foi convocado urgentemente.

Solicitar urgentemente

— A formal way to ask for something immediately. Common in legal/official letters.

Solicitamos urgentemente a sua presença.

Intervir urgentemente

— To step into a situation to change it immediately. Used for governments or parents.

A polícia teve que intervir urgentemente.

Revisar urgentemente

— To look over something again because of a critical error or deadline.

O texto precisa ser revisado urgentemente.

Pagar urgentemente

— To settle a debt or bill immediately to avoid penalties.

Você deve pagar essa dívida urgentemente.

Procurar urgentemente

— To search for someone or something with great haste.

Procure o gerente urgentemente.

Remediar urgentemente

— To fix a bad situation before it gets worse.

Precisamos remediar a falha urgentemente.

Comunicar urgentemente

— To share information immediately with the relevant parties.

Comunique o resultado urgentemente.

Requerer urgentemente

— A very formal way to state a requirement that cannot wait.

O projeto requer urgentemente novos fundos.

Often Confused With

urgentemente vs Urgente

Urgente is an adjective (an urgent matter). Urgentemente is an adverb (to act urgently).

urgentemente vs Emergentemente

While it sounds similar, 'emergentemente' refers to something that is emerging or rising, not necessarily something urgent.

urgentemente vs Rapidamente

Rapidamente means fast/quickly. Urgentemente means with a sense of critical need.

Idioms & Expressions

"Pra ontem"

— Used to say something is so urgent it should have been done already. This is the idiomatic equivalent of 'urgentemente'.

Eu preciso desse relatório pra ontem!

Informal

"Fogo nas roupas"

— Literally 'fire in the clothes', used when someone is in a desperate hurry. Similar to 'urgentemente'.

Ele está com fogo nas roupas para resolver isso.

Slang/Regional

"A todo vapor"

— At full steam. While it means fast, it implies an urgent effort.

Estamos trabalhando a todo vapor e urgentemente.

Neutral

"Correr contra o tempo"

— To race against time. The situation requires acting urgently.

Estamos correndo contra o tempo urgentemente.

Neutral

"Vapt-vupt"

— Onomatopoeia for something done very quickly and often urgently.

Vou ali resolver isso vapt-vupt.

Informal

"No estalar de dedos"

— In the snap of a finger. Used for immediate, urgent actions.

Ele resolveu o problema no estalar de dedos.

Informal

"A toque de caixa"

— To do something in a rushed, often urgent but sometimes sloppy way.

A lei foi aprovada a toque de caixa.

Neutral

"Sem respirar"

— Without breathing. Doing something so urgently you don't stop for anything.

Trabalhou o dia todo sem respirar.

Informal

"Em cima da hora"

— At the last minute. Often creates an urgent situation.

Ele sempre faz tudo em cima da hora.

Neutral

"Pisar no acelerador"

— To step on the gas. To start acting more urgently.

Precisamos pisar no acelerador com esse projeto.

Informal

Easily Confused

urgentemente vs Imediatamente

Both imply speed.

Imediatamente means 'right now' (time focus). Urgentemente means 'because it is a crisis' (importance focus).

Ele parou imediatamente. / Ele precisa de ajuda urgentemente.

urgentemente vs Prontamente

Both relate to quick action.

Prontamente implies being ready and willing. Urgentemente implies a pressure or necessity.

Ele atendeu prontamente. / Ele atendeu urgentemente.

urgentemente vs Apressadamente

Both involve hurry.

Apressadamente can imply a lack of care or just physical speed. Urgentemente implies priority.

Ele comeu apressadamente. / Ele precisa comer urgentemente.

urgentemente vs Recentemente

Similar suffix and length.

Recentemente means 'lately/recently'. Urgentemente means 'urgently'.

Eu o vi recentemente. / Eu preciso vê-lo urgentemente.

urgentemente vs Eventualmente

False friend for English speakers.

Eventualmente means 'occasionally' or 'possibly' in Portuguese, not 'finally'. It has nothing to do with urgency.

Nós nos vemos eventualmente. / Precisamos nos ver urgentemente.

Sentence Patterns

Eu preciso de [Substantivo] urgentemente.

Eu preciso de ajuda urgentemente.

Você pode [Verbo] urgentemente?

Você pode me ligar urgentemente?

É necessário [Verbo] urgentemente.

É necessário resolver o problema urgentemente.

Urgentemente, o [Sujeito] deve [Verbo].

Urgentemente, o governo deve agir.

A situação exige que [Sujeito] [Verbo no Subjuntivo] urgentemente.

A situação exige que tomemos uma decisão urgentemente.

Torna-se premente que se [Verbo no Subjuntivo] urgentemente.

Torna-se premente que se reformule o sistema urgentemente.

Temos que [Verbo] urgentemente.

Temos que sair urgentemente.

[Verbo] urgentemente para evitar [Problema].

Ligue urgentemente para evitar o cancelamento.

Word Family

Nouns

urgência (urgency)

urgencista (emergency doctor/specialist)

Verbs

urgir (to be urgent / to press)

Adjectives

urgente (urgent)

emergência

pressa

prioridade

imediatez

precipitação

How to Use It

frequency

Common in business, news, and emergency situations.

Common Mistakes

Eu preciso disso urgente. → Eu preciso disso urgentemente.
You need an adverb to modify how you need it. 'Urgente' is an adjective.
urjentemente → urgentemente
In Portuguese, 'urgente' is spelled with a 'g', so the adverb must also use 'g'.
Eles precisam urgentementes. → Eles precisam urgentemente.
Adverbs never take a plural form, even if the subject is plural.
Eu urgentemente preciso de ajuda. → Eu preciso de ajuda urgentemente.
While not strictly wrong, placing the adverb before the verb is less common and sounds a bit like a translation from English.
urgentiemente → urgentemente
Do not add an 'i' before the '-mente'. The suffix attaches directly to the adjective 'urgente'.

Tips

Adverb Formation

Remember that almost any adjective that ends in 'e' or a consonant can become an adverb by adding '-mente'. Urgente -> Urgentemente, Forte -> Fortemente.

Emphasis

If you want to sound really desperate, lengthen the 'men' syllable: 'urgente-MEEEEEN-te'. This is common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese.

Email Etiquette

In an email subject line, use 'URGENTE' (adjective) or 'Assunto Urgente'. In the body of the email, use 'urgentemente' to describe the action needed.

Synonym Choice

Use 'imediatamente' for technical instructions and 'urgentemente' for situations involving human needs or crises.

The 'G' Sound

The 'g' in 'urgentemente' is always soft, like the 'j' in 'journal'. Never pronounce it like the 'g' in 'game'.

Politeness

Urgency can sound like a command. Soften it with 'por favor' or 'se possível' (if possible) unless it's a real emergency.

Context Clues

If you hear a word ending in '-mente' in a hospital or during a fire drill, it's almost certainly 'urgentemente'.

Avoid Overuse

If everything is 'urgentemente', nothing is. Save it for things that truly cannot wait 24 hours.

Cognate Power

Use your knowledge of English 'urgent' to remember the root. The rest is just the standard adverb suffix.

No Double 'E'

Some learners try to write 'urgenteemente'. Don't! The 'e' from 'urgente' and the start of 'mente' merge into one.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Urgent' + 'Mind' (mente). If your mind is urgent, you act 'urgentemente'.

Visual Association

Imagine a red siren spinning on top of a giant word 'MENTE'. The siren represents the 'urgente' part.

Word Web

Urgente Urgência Emergência Mente Rapidamente Imediatamente Prioridade Agora

Challenge

Try to use 'urgentemente' in three different contexts today: one for a work task, one for a personal need, and one for a hypothetical emergency.

Word Origin

From the Latin 'urgens, urgentis', which is the present participle of 'urgere' (to press, push, or impel). The suffix '-mente' comes from the Latin word 'mens, mentis' (mind), originally used in phrases like 'urgenti mente' (with an urgent mind).

Original meaning: To press forward or to push with force.

Romance (Latin root).

Cultural Context

Be careful not to sound too bossy. In Portuguese, adding 'por favor' (please) after 'urgentemente' is highly recommended to maintain politeness while expressing need.

English speakers might find 'urgentemente' more common in emails than 'urgently' is in English, where we often use 'ASAP' or 'at your earliest convenience'.

Commonly used in news headlines regarding the Amazon rainforest (precisamos agir urgentemente). Frequent in medical dramas like 'Sob Pressão' (Brazilian TV series). Found in legal statutes regarding 'medidas cautelares'.

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

Medical Emergency

Preciso de um médico urgentemente.
Chame a ambulância urgentemente.
Onde é a emergência? É urgentemente.
Ele está passando mal urgentemente.

Office/Work

Envie o relatório urgentemente.
O chefe quer falar com você urgentemente.
Precisamos aprovar o orçamento urgentemente.
Responda ao cliente urgentemente.

Home Repairs

O cano estourou, chame o encanador urgentemente.
Estamos sem luz e precisamos consertar urgentemente.
A chave quebrou, preciso de um chaveiro urgentemente.
O telhado está vazando urgentemente.

Travel

Perdi meu passaporte e preciso de ajuda urgentemente.
O voo foi cancelado, preciso de um hotel urgentemente.
Onde posso carregar meu celular urgentemente?
Preciso chegar ao aeroporto urgentemente.

Social/Relationships

Me liga urgentemente, é importante.
Precisamos conversar urgentemente sobre nós.
Você pode vir aqui urgentemente?
Esqueci meu compromisso, preciso sair urgentemente.

Conversation Starters

"Você já teve que chamar a polícia urgentemente?"

"O que você precisa resolver urgentemente na sua vida hoje?"

"Você acha que o governo deve agir urgentemente contra o aquecimento global?"

"Quando foi a última vez que você precisou de um médico urgentemente?"

"Você costuma deixar tudo para a última hora ou resolve as coisas urgentemente?"

Journal Prompts

Descreva uma situação em que você teve que agir urgentemente para ajudar alguém.

Quais são as três coisas que a sua cidade precisa mudar urgentemente?

Escreva sobre um dia de trabalho estressante onde tudo era para ser feito urgentemente.

Se você pudesse viajar para qualquer lugar urgentemente, para onde iria?

Como você se sente quando alguém te pede algo urgentemente? Você fica ansioso?

Frequently Asked Questions

10 questions

No, but it is the most common position. You can place it at the beginning for emphasis (Urgentemente, precisamos de ajuda!) or sometimes between the auxiliary and main verb (Precisamos urgentemente resolver isso). Placing it at the end is the safest bet for learners.

No. 'Urgente' is an adjective (O caso é urgente). 'Urgentemente' is an adverb (Resolva o caso urgentemente). You cannot say 'Eu preciso disso urgente' in formal grammar, though you might hear it in slang.

'Imediatamente' is about the 'when' (right now, 0 seconds delay). 'Urgentemente' is about the 'why' (it is a priority, it is a crisis). Often they are used together, but 'urgentemente' carries more emotional or situational weight.

Try to say 'en' but instead of touching your tongue to the roof of your mouth for the 'n', let the air go through your nose. It's like the 'an' in 'sang' but without the 'g'.

Yes, the meaning and usage are identical. The only difference is the pronunciation of the final 'e' (almost silent in Portugal, like 'ee' in Brazil) and the 't' (hard 't' in Portugal, 'tch' in many parts of Brazil).

Yes, it is very common. However, if you are texting a close friend, 'com urgência' or 'pra ontem' might sound more natural and less like a business email.

Not a direct one, but 'já' (now) or 'agora' (now) can sometimes convey the same need for speed, though they lack the specific meaning of 'urgency'.

It is neutral to formal. It is perfectly fine in a professional email, but it's also used in life-or-death situations in casual speech.

No. Adverbs in Portuguese are invariable. They do not change for gender (masculine/feminine) or number (singular/plural).

'Pra ontem' (for yesterday) is a common idiom that emphasizes that the deadline has already passed because the matter is so urgent. It's more colorful than 'urgentemente'.