Portuguese, like many other Romance languages, uses articles to indicate the gender and number of nouns. Articles are essential components of sentences as they provide crucial information about the nouns they precede. In this guide, we will explore the basics of Portuguese articles, their forms, and how they are used in different contexts. We will also provide example sentences to illustrate their usage.
Definite Articles: “O”, “A”, “Os”, and “As”
In Portuguese, the definite article is used to refer to specific nouns that the speaker and the listener are already aware of or have been previously mentioned. There are four forms of the definite article in Portuguese, which vary according to the gender and number of the noun they accompany.
“O” and “Os” (masculine singular and plural):
Example sentences:
O carro está na garagem. (The car is in the garage.)
Os livros estão na estante. (The books are on the shelf.)
“A” and “As” (feminine singular and plural):
Example sentences:
A casa é bonita. (The house is beautiful.)
As flores são coloridas. (The flowers are colorful.)
Indefinite Articles: “Um”, “Uma”, “Uns”, and “Umas”
Indefinite articles are used to refer to non-specific or unidentified nouns. They correspond to the English articles “a” and “an.” Similar to definite articles, the form of indefinite articles also depends on the gender and number of the noun they accompany.
“Um” and “Uns” (masculine singular and plural):
Example sentences:
Eu comprei um livro. (I bought a book.)
Uns amigos estão me esperando. (Some friends are waiting for me.)
“Uma” and “Umas” (feminine singular and plural):
Example sentences:
Ela comprou uma cadeira nova. (She bought a new chair.)
Umas meninas estão brincando no parque. (Some girls are playing in the park.)
Definite and Indefinite Articles with Adjectives
In Portuguese, the definite and indefinite articles must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify, as well as with any accompanying adjectives. This means that the articles and adjectives must have the same gender and number as the noun they refer to.
Example sentences:
O gato preto está dormindo. (The black cat is sleeping.)
Ela comprou uma camisa azul. (She bought a blue shirt.)
Os meninos são inteligentes. (The boys are intelligent.)
Umas cadeiras vermelhas estão na sala. (Some red chairs are in the living room.)
Contractions with Articles
In Portuguese, the prepositions “a” (to) and “de” (of, from) can contract with the definite article “o” and the indefinite article “uma” to form contractions.
Contractions with the definite article “o”:
“Ao” (a + o): Vou ao cinema. (I’m going to the cinema.)
“à” (a + a): Vou à praia. (I’m going to the beach.)
“aos” (a + os): Vou aos correios. (I’m going to the post office.)
“às” (a + as): Vou às compras. (I’m going shopping.)
Contractions with the indefinite article “uma”:
“num” (em + um): Estou num restaurante. (I’m in a restaurant.)
“numa” (em + uma): Estou numa festa. (I’m at a party.)
Zero Article
In certain cases, Portuguese does not use any article before a noun. This is known as the zero article. It occurs in specific situations such as general statements, uncountable nouns, and proper nouns.
Example sentences:
Gosto de música. (I like music.)
Lisboa é uma cidade bonita. (Lisbon is a beautiful city.)
Ele é professor. (He is a teacher.)
Conclusion
Understanding and using Portuguese articles correctly is essential for building grammatically accurate sentences. Definite and indefinite articles play a crucial role in determining the gender and number of nouns. Remember to pay attention to the gender and number agreement between articles, adjectives, and nouns. With practice and exposure to the language, you will become more comfortable and proficient in using articles in Portuguese.
Originally posted 2023-07-13 17:04:14.