Each Portuguese noun has a hidden identification – it’s both masculine or female, even when there’s nothing inherently gendered in regards to the object itself. This fascinating function of Portuguese nouns signifies that a easy desk (a mesa) is female whereas a guide (o livro) is masculine, creating an invisible layer of grammar that shapes the whole language.
Whether or not you’re simply beginning your Portuguese journey or seeking to strengthen your basis, mastering Portuguese nouns is your gateway to expressing your self clearly and confidently. On this complete information, we’ll discover the important guidelines of Portuguese nouns, present 100 must-know examples organized by class, and share sensible workout routines that can assist you internalize these essential constructing blocks of the language.
Portuguese nouns: Why do they matter?
Portuguese nouns (substantivos) are phrases that identify folks, locations, issues, or concepts within the Portuguese language. They type the inspiration of sentences, permitting you to establish who or what you’re speaking about. Each Portuguese noun has a gender (masculine or female) that impacts articles, adjectives, and different phrases that accompany it.
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Constructing blocks: Nouns are important for primary communication in Portuguese – with out them, you couldn’t speak about o café (the espresso), a praia (the seashore), or o amigo (the buddy).
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Gender consciousness: Understanding noun gender helps you keep away from frequent errors like saying “a carro” as an alternative of the right “o carro” (the automotive).
Mastering Portuguese nouns is your first step towards constructing significant sentences and expressing your self clearly when talking with native Portuguese audio system.
The 100 important Portuguese nouns by class
Studying nouns by class helps you bear in mind them extra simply and use them in related contexts. Listed here are 100 must-know Portuguese nouns organized into sensible classes:
Individuals & household
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o homem – “man”
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a mulher – “lady”
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o menino – “boy”
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a menina – “lady”
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o pai – “father”
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a mãe – “mom”
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o filho – “son”
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a filha – “daughter”
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o irmão – “brother”
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a irmã – “sister”
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os pais – “mother and father”
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o amigo – “buddy” (male)
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a amiga – “buddy” (feminine)
Locations & geography
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a casa – “home”
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a escola – “faculty”
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a cidade – “metropolis”
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o país – “nation”
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a rua – “road”
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o bairro – “neighborhood”
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o mercado – “market”
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a praia – “seashore”
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a montanha – “mountain”
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o rio – “river”
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o parque – “park”
Home & house
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o quarto – “bed room”
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a sala – “lounge”
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a cozinha – “kitchen”
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o banheiro – “lavatory”
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a janela – “window”
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a porta – “door”
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a cama – “mattress”
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a mesa – “desk”
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a cadeira – “chair”
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o sofá – “couch”
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a geladeira – “fridge”
Frequent objects
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o livro – “guide”
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o telefone – “cellphone”
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o computador – “pc”
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a bolsa – “bag”
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a chave – “key”
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o carro – “automotive”
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a bicicleta – “bicycle”
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o relógio – “watch/clock”
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o papel – “paper”
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a caneta – “pen”
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o lápis – “pencil”
Meals & drinks
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a água – “water”
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o pão – “bread”
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o leite – “milk”
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o café – “espresso”
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o chá – “tea”
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a fruta – “fruit”
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a carne – “meat”
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o peixe – “fish”
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o arroz – “rice”
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o feijão – “beans”
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o queijo – “cheese”
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o ovo – “egg”
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a salada – “salad”
Days, time & climate
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o dia – “day”
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a noite – “night time”
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a manhã – “morning”
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a tarde – “afternoon”
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a semana – “week”
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o mês – “month”
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o ano – “12 months”
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a hora – “hour”
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o minuto – “minute”
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o tempo – “climate/time”
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o sol – “solar”
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a chuva – “rain”
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o vento – “wind”
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a neve – “snow”
Physique & well being
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a cabeça – “head”
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o olho – “eye”
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a boca – “mouth”
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a mão – “hand”
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o pé – “foot”
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o braço – “arm”
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a perna – “leg”
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o coração – “coronary heart”
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a saúde – “well being”
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o médico – “physician”
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o hospital – “hospital”
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o remédio – “drugs”
Summary & different helpful nouns
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o trabalho – “work”
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o dinheiro – “cash”
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a vida – “life”
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o tempo – “time”
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a felicidade – “happiness”
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o problema – “drawback”
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a pergunta – “query”
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a resposta – “reply”
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a viagem – “journey”
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o amor – “love”
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a amizade – “friendship”
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a música – “music”
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o filme – “film”
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o esporte – “sport”
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a ideia – “thought”
Follow tip: Strive utilizing these nouns in easy sentences like “A casa é grande” (The home is huge) or “O café está quente” (The espresso is sizzling).
Grammar fundamentals for Portuguese nouns
Each Portuguese noun has a grammatical gender – both masculine (masculino) or female (feminino). This gender impacts the articles and adjectives used with the noun.
Masculine nouns usually use the articles o (singular) and os (plural). Most nouns ending in -o, -or, -l, and -m are masculine:
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o livro – “the guide”
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o professor – “the trainer”
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o papel – “the paper”
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o homem – “the person”
Female nouns usually use the articles a (singular) and as (plural). Most nouns ending in -a, -ção, -dade, and -gem are female:
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a casa – “the home”
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a canção – “the tune”
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a cidade – “the town”
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a viagem – “the journey”
Exception alert: Some nouns don’t observe these patterns. For instance, o problema (the issue) ends in -a however is masculine, whereas a mão (the hand) doesn’t finish in a typical female ending however is female.
To type plurals in Portuguese, most nouns merely add -s:
Nouns ending in -r, -z, or -n add -es:
Nouns ending in -m change to -ns:
Nouns ending in -ão have three doable plural varieties:
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ão → ões: o coração → os corações – “the hearts”
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ão → ães: o pão → os pães – “the breads”
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ão → ãos: a mão → as mãos – “the palms”
Frequent errors with Portuguese nouns
Even skilled learners make errors with Portuguese nouns. Listed here are the commonest errors to keep away from:
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Gender confusion: Utilizing the mistaken article with a noun (a livro as an alternative of o livro). Keep in mind to be taught every noun with its right article.
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Irregular plurals: Making use of common plural guidelines to irregular nouns. For instance, saying os pãos as an alternative of the right os pães (breads).
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False cognates: Assuming a Portuguese phrase has the identical gender as its equal in one other Romance language. As an example, o leite (milk) is masculine in Portuguese however female in French (la lait).
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Mismatched adjectives: Utilizing adjectives that don’t match the noun’s gender. Do not forget that adjectives should agree with nouns: o livro interessante (the fascinating guide) however a casa interessante (the fascinating home).
Studying Portuguese nouns with their articles from the start will show you how to keep away from these frequent pitfalls and construct a extra strong basis within the language.
Follow Portuguese nouns with workout routines
Fill within the clean
Full every sentence with the right Portuguese noun:
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Eu bebo ___ todos os dias. (espresso)
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Ela mora em uma ___ grande. (metropolis)
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Meu ___ trabalha no hospital. (father)
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A ___ está aberta. (door)
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Eu preciso de uma ___. (key)
Match the noun to its translation
Match every Portuguese noun with its English translation:
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a escola
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o pão
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a cabeça
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o trabalho
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a noite
a) bread
b) night time
c) faculty
d) work
e) head
Gender follow
Determine whether or not every noun is masculine (M) or female (F):
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livro
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casa
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problema
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cidade
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café
Plural formation
Write the plural type of every noun:
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o livro
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a mulher
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o professor
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a mão
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o pão
Enhance your Portuguese with Preply
Mastering Portuguese nouns is a vital step in your language studying journey. These constructing blocks assist you to speak about folks, locations, issues, and concepts in Portuguese-speaking nations.
Whereas memorizing nouns is essential, utilizing them in actual conversations is what actually helps them stick. Common follow with a local speaker can speed up your progress and show you how to keep away from frequent errors with gender, plurals, and pronunciation.
Preply connects you with skilled on-line Portuguese tutors who can present customized steerage tailor-made to your studying model and targets. Whether or not you’re eager about Brazilian Portuguese or European Portuguese, a tutor may help you grasp the nuances of noun utilization in context.
Discover a tutor and begin studying at present.
Solutions to Portuguese nouns workout routines
Fill within the clean
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o café – “Eu bebo o café todos os dias.” (I drink espresso each day.)
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cidade – “Ela mora em uma cidade grande.” (She lives in a giant metropolis.)
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pai – “Meu pai trabalha no hospital.” (My father works on the hospital.)
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porta – “A porta está aberta.” (The door is open.)
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chave – “Eu preciso de uma chave.” (I would like a key.)
Match the noun to its translation
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a escola – c) faculty
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o pão – a) bread
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a cabeça – e) head
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o trabalho – d) work
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a noite – b) night time
Gender follow
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livro – M (masculine)
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casa – F (female)
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problema – M (masculine)
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cidade – F (female)
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café – M (masculine)
Plural formation
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o livro → os livros (the books)
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a mulher → as mulheres (the ladies)
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o professor → os professores (the academics)
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a mão → as mãos (the palms)
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o pão → os pães (the breads)