Brazilian Portuguese Grammar: Articles

If you're learning Portuguese, you've likely already noticed something the English language doesn't have: gender! In Portuguese, everything is either masculine or feminine, and this affects how we use definite articles (artigos definidos) and indefinite articles (artigos indefinidos).

The good news is that once you grasp the logic, using articles in Portuguese is quite similar to using "the," "a," and "an" in English.

Definite Articles: "o, a, os, as" vs. "the"

In English, you use "the" when you are talking about something specific, something that both you and the person you are speaking to know about. In Portuguese, it's the same concept.

The main difference is that in Portuguese the article must agree with the gender and number of the noun.

• Masculine Singular: o menino (the boy)
• Feminine Singular: a menina (the girl)
• Masculine Plural: os meninos (the boys)
• Feminine Plural: as meninas (the girls)

Examples:

• "Where is the car?" > "Onde está o carro?" (carro = masculine)
• "The keys are on the table." > "As chaves estão na mesa." (chaves = feminine and plural)
• "The book is interesting." > "O livro é interessante." (livro = masculine)

Indefinite Articles: "um, uma, uns, umas" vs. "a / an"

Similarly, indefinite articles in Portuguese function like "a" or "an" in English. They are used to talk about something non-specific or to introduce something for the first time.

Just like definite articles, they also change according to the gender and number of the noun.

• Masculine Singular: um menino (a boy)
• Feminine Singular: uma menina (a girl)
• Masculine Plural: uns meninos (some boys)
• Feminine Plural: umas meninas (some girls)

Examples:

• "I need a pen." > "Eu preciso de uma caneta." (caneta = feminine)
• "I bought a new computer." > "Eu comprei um computador novo." (computador = masculine)
• "I saw some students." > "Eu vi uns estudantes." (estudantes = masculine plural)
• "I ate some cookies." > "Eu comi umas bolachas." (bolachas = feminine plural)

Essential Tip: The Gender!

The biggest hurdle for English speakers is memorizing the gender of nouns. Unfortunately, there isn't a 100% fixed rule, but there are some helpful tips:

• Words ending in "-o" are generally masculine: “o carro”, “o livro”, “o telefone”.
• Words ending in "-a" are generally feminine: “a casa”, “a mesa”, “a caneta”.

However, exceptions exist! For example: “o mapa”, “o problema”, “a mão”. With a little practice, you'll start using articles naturally. Remember to always ask yourself: "Am I talking about something specific or not?" and "Is this noun masculine or feminine, singular or plural?"