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Grammar · Articles & agreement

Make the whole phrase agree.

Portuguese articles and adjectives change to match the noun. Learn the pattern behind o / a / os / as, um / uma / uns / umas and phrases such as a casa nova and os carros novos.

Practise articles & agreement

Articles

Four forms, two basic choices.

First choose definite or indefinite. Then make the article agree with the noun's grammatical gender and number.

Definite

the

omasculine · singularo livro
afeminine · singulara casa
osmasculine · pluralos livros
asfeminine · pluralas casas
Indefinite

a / an / some

ummasculine · singularum livro
umafeminine · singularuma casa
unsmasculine · pluraluns livros
umasfeminine · pluralumas casas

Agreement chain

The words change together.

When an adjective has gender and number forms, it normally agrees with the noun it describes.

masculine singularo carro novothe new car
feminine singulara casa novathe new house
masculine pluralos carros novosthe new cars
feminine pluralas casas novasthe new houses

Noun gender

Use endings as clues, not guarantees.

Gender is grammatical. Many endings are useful clues, but frequent exceptions should be learned with their article.

Often masculine

-o

o livro, o carro

Often feminine

-a

a casa, a mesa

Often feminine

-ção / -dade

a informação, a cidade

Learn the exception

article + noun

o problema, o mapa, a mão

Best habit: learn a new noun with its article — a viagem, not just viagem.

Adjectives

Some change for gender; others do not.

Number still matters. Compare a four-form adjective such as novo with an adjective such as grande, which has the same singular form for both genders.

Four-form pattern

novomasc. singular
novafem. singular
novosmasc. plural
novasfem. plural

Same gender form

grandesingular
grandesplural

o carro grande · a casa grande
os carros grandes · as casas grandes

Practice path

Build agreement in eight steps.

Your best score is saved. Improve it to earn XP, using the same progression system as the other Grammar modules.

  1. 1

    Definite articles

    o · a · os · as

  2. 2

    Indefinite articles

    um · uma · uns · umas

  3. 3

    Noun gender

    Common patterns and exceptions.

  4. 4

    Singular & plural

    Make the whole noun phrase plural.

  5. 5

    Adjective gender

    novo/nova and invariant forms.

  6. 6

    Adjective number

    novos, grandes, felizes, azuis...

  7. 7

    Full agreement

    Article + noun + adjective.

  8. 8

    Mixed challenge

    All the patterns together.