Difference between revisions of "Language/Portuguese/Grammar/Plurals"

From Polyglot Club WIKI
Jump to navigation Jump to search
m (Quick edit)
m (Quick edit)
Line 4: Line 4:
<div class="pg_page_title">Portuguese Grammar - Plurals</div>
<div class="pg_page_title">Portuguese Grammar - Plurals</div>


Learning Portuguese grammar can be a daunting task, but understanding the basics of plurals is an essential part of mastering the language. Plurals are used to indicate more than one of something, and they are formed differently in Portuguese than in English. In this lesson, we will explore the rules for forming plurals in Portuguese and provide some examples to help you understand how they work.  
Hi [https://polyglotclub.com/language/portuguese Portuguese] learners! 😊<br>In this lesson, we will explore the plural forms in Portuguese. This is an important topic to master, as it will help you improve your communication skills and express yourself more clearly in Portuguese. Remember, to improve your [[Language/Portuguese|Portuguese]] [[Language/Portuguese/Grammar|Grammar]], you can also use the [https://polyglotclub.com Polyglot Club] website. [https://polyglotclub.com/find-friends.php?search=send&d=0&f=36&offre1=97 Find native speakers] and ask them any [https://polyglotclub.com/language/portuguese/question questions]!


__TOC__
__TOC__


== Regular Plurals ==
== Introduction ==
In Portuguese, nouns can be singular or plural depending on the number of elements they refer to. Understanding plurals is important as plural forms are used frequently in Portuguese. In this lesson, we will look at the rules to form plurals in Portuguese.


The most common way to form plurals in Portuguese is by adding an -s to the end of the word. This is the same as in English, but there are some exceptions. For example, words that end in -ão or -l have their plurals formed by changing the -ão to -ões and the -l to -is.
== Regular plural formation ==
In general, to form the plural form of nouns in Portuguese, we add an "-s" at the end of the word. For example:


=== Examples ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Portuguese !! English
|-
| Cão || Dog
|-
| Cães || Dogs
|-
| Gato || Cat
|-
| Gatos || Cats
|}


* livro (book) → livros (books)
As can be seen in the above examples, the singular form of the noun "cão" (dog) changes to "cães" (dogs); and the singular form of the noun "gato" (cat) changes to "gatos" (cats). Here are some general rules to form regular plurals in Portuguese:
* casa (house) → casas (houses)
* cão (dog) → cães (dogs)
* animal (animal) → animais (animals)
* papel (paper) → papéis (papers)


== Irregular Plurals ==
- For words ending in a vowel, we usually add "-s" at the end of the word. For example: cadeira (chair) - cadeiras (chairs).
- For words ending in a consonant, we usually add "-s" at the end of the word. For example: flor (flower) - flores (flowers).
- For words ending in "-r", we usually add "-es" at the end of the word. For example: amor (love) - amores (loves).
- For words ending in "-l", "-m", "-n", "-z", we usually add "-es" at the end of the word. For example: jornal (newspaper) - jornais (newspapers); irmão (brother) - irmãos (brothers); pão (bread) - pães (breads); voz (voice) - vozes (voices).


There are also some irregular plurals in Portuguese. These are words that do not follow the regular pattern of adding -s to the end of the word.
Some examples of nouns in plural:


=== Examples ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Portuguese !! English
|-
| Livros || Books
|-
| Mesas || Tables
|-
| Relógios || Watches
|-
| Pincéis || Brushes
|}


* pai (father) → pais (fathers)
== Exceptions to the regular rules ==
* mão (hand) → mãos (hands)
While most plurals in Portuguese follow the regular rules we have just seen, there are some exceptions that need to be memorized.
* dia (day) → dias (days)
* lápis (pencil) → lápis (pencils)
* árvore (tree) → árvores (trees)


== Plural Agreement ==
=== Words ending in "-ês" ===
Nouns ending in "-ês" usually form their plural by dropping the accent and adding "-es" at the end. For example:


In Portuguese, the plural form of a noun must agree with the verb that it is used with. This means that if the noun is singular, the verb must be conjugated in the singular form, and if the noun is plural, the verb must be conjugated in the plural form.
{| class="wikitable"
! Portuguese !! English
|-
| Português || Portuguese (singular)
|-
| Portugueses || Portuguese (plural)
|-
| Talvez || Perhaps (singular)
|-
| Talvezes || Perhaps (plural)
|}


=== Examples ===
=== Words ending in "-ão" ===
Nouns ending in "-ão" usually form their plural by dropping the "-ão" and adding "-ões" at the end. For example:


* O livro está na mesa. (The book is on the table.)
{| class="wikitable"
* Os livros estão na mesa. (The books are on the table.)
! Portuguese !! English
* A casa é grande. (The house is big.)
|-
* As casas são grandes. (The houses are big.)
| Pão || Bread (singular)
|-
| Pães || Breads (plural)
|-
| Mão || Hand (singular)
|-
| Mãos || Hands (plural)
|}


== Conclusion ==
=== Words ending in "-r" or "-z" ===
Some words ending in "-r" or "-z" have an irregular plural formation. For example:
 
{| class="wikitable"
! Portuguese !! English
|-
| Amor || Love (singular)
|-
| Amores || Loves (plural)
|-
| Realizador || Director (singular)
|-
| Realizadores || Directors (plural)
|-
| Raiz || Root (singular)
|-
| Raízes || Roots (plural)
|}
 
== Dialogue ==
* Person 1: Vou comprar um livro. (I am going to buy a book)
* Person 2: Compre dois livros. (Buy two books)
* Person 1: Ok, vou comprar dois jogos também. (Ok, I am also going to buy two games)
* Person 2: Compre dois jogos diferentes. (Buy two different games)


Forming plurals in Portuguese is not as difficult as it may seem at first. With a little practice, you will soon be able to form plurals correctly and use them in your conversations. If you want to learn more about Portuguese grammar, why not join the [https://PolyglotClub.com Polyglot Club] community? You can find other Portuguese learners and practice your language skills with them.  
== Cultural notes ==
- In Portuguese, number and gender agreement is very important. For example, it is incorrect to say "dois livros verdes" (two green books) as "livros" is a masculine noun and "verdes" is a feminine adjective. The correct way is "dois livros verdes" (two green books) but "duas cadeiras verdes" (two green chairs).
- Brazilians often use plurals in ways that might sound strange to Portuguese speakers from Portugal. For example, they might say "os físicos" (the physicists) when speaking of a single physicist in a humble or ironic fashion. (this source is Correio Braziliense: [https://www.correiobraziliense.com.br/app/noticia/revista/2017/11/19/interna_revista_correio,642666/os-erros-mais-comuns-entre-portugueses-e-brasileiros.shtml])
- Portuguese-speaking countries have a rich literary history. Some authors who have contributed to Portuguese literature include Fernando Pessoa, Luís de Camões, Jorge Amado, and José Saramago.


<br><hr>If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.<br>Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
== Conclusion ==
In conclusion, plurals are an important part of Portuguese grammar, and mastering them will greatly improve your communication skills in Portuguese. Remember, practice is key to improving your language skills. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.<br>➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎


== Sources ==
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_plural Portuguese plural]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_grammar Portuguese grammar]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Portuguese-language_writers List of Portuguese-language writers]


==Related Lessons==
{{#seo:
* [[Language/Portuguese/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be|How to Use Be]]
|title=Portuguese Grammar - Plurals
* [[Language/Portuguese/Grammar/Future-Tense|Future Tense]]
|keywords=Portuguese plurals, plurals in Portuguese, Portuguese grammar, regular plurals in Portuguese, exceptions to regular plurals
* [[Language/Portuguese/Grammar/Gender|Gender]]
|description=This lesson will explore the regular and irregular plural forms in Portuguese. Learn how to form plurals and explore cultural notes from Portuguese-speaking countries.
* [[Language/Portuguese/Grammar/Negation|Negation]]
}}
* [[Language/Portuguese/Grammar/Questions|Questions]]
* [[Language/Portuguese/Grammar/Porquê-VS-Porque|Porquê VS Porque]]
* [[Language/Portuguese/Grammar/Time|Time]]
* [[Language/Portuguese/Grammar/Articles|Articles]]
* [[Language/Portuguese/Grammar/Adjectives|Adjectives]]
* [[Language/Portuguese/Grammar/Prepositions|Prepositions]]


{{Portuguese-Page-Bottom}}
{{Portuguese-Page-Bottom}}

Revision as of 22:04, 4 March 2023

Portuguese-europe-brazil-polyglotclub.png
Portuguese Grammar - Plurals

Hi Portuguese learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will explore the plural forms in Portuguese. This is an important topic to master, as it will help you improve your communication skills and express yourself more clearly in Portuguese. Remember, to improve your Portuguese Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Introduction

In Portuguese, nouns can be singular or plural depending on the number of elements they refer to. Understanding plurals is important as plural forms are used frequently in Portuguese. In this lesson, we will look at the rules to form plurals in Portuguese.

Regular plural formation

In general, to form the plural form of nouns in Portuguese, we add an "-s" at the end of the word. For example:

Portuguese English
Cão Dog
Cães Dogs
Gato Cat
Gatos Cats

As can be seen in the above examples, the singular form of the noun "cão" (dog) changes to "cães" (dogs); and the singular form of the noun "gato" (cat) changes to "gatos" (cats). Here are some general rules to form regular plurals in Portuguese:

- For words ending in a vowel, we usually add "-s" at the end of the word. For example: cadeira (chair) - cadeiras (chairs). - For words ending in a consonant, we usually add "-s" at the end of the word. For example: flor (flower) - flores (flowers). - For words ending in "-r", we usually add "-es" at the end of the word. For example: amor (love) - amores (loves). - For words ending in "-l", "-m", "-n", "-z", we usually add "-es" at the end of the word. For example: jornal (newspaper) - jornais (newspapers); irmão (brother) - irmãos (brothers); pão (bread) - pães (breads); voz (voice) - vozes (voices).

Some examples of nouns in plural:

Portuguese English
Livros Books
Mesas Tables
Relógios Watches
Pincéis Brushes

Exceptions to the regular rules

While most plurals in Portuguese follow the regular rules we have just seen, there are some exceptions that need to be memorized.

Words ending in "-ês"

Nouns ending in "-ês" usually form their plural by dropping the accent and adding "-es" at the end. For example:

Portuguese English
Português Portuguese (singular)
Portugueses Portuguese (plural)
Talvez Perhaps (singular)
Talvezes Perhaps (plural)

Words ending in "-ão"

Nouns ending in "-ão" usually form their plural by dropping the "-ão" and adding "-ões" at the end. For example:

Portuguese English
Pão Bread (singular)
Pães Breads (plural)
Mão Hand (singular)
Mãos Hands (plural)

Words ending in "-r" or "-z"

Some words ending in "-r" or "-z" have an irregular plural formation. For example:

Portuguese English
Amor Love (singular)
Amores Loves (plural)
Realizador Director (singular)
Realizadores Directors (plural)
Raiz Root (singular)
Raízes Roots (plural)

Dialogue

  • Person 1: Vou comprar um livro. (I am going to buy a book)
  • Person 2: Compre dois livros. (Buy two books)
  • Person 1: Ok, vou comprar dois jogos também. (Ok, I am also going to buy two games)
  • Person 2: Compre dois jogos diferentes. (Buy two different games)

Cultural notes

- In Portuguese, number and gender agreement is very important. For example, it is incorrect to say "dois livros verdes" (two green books) as "livros" is a masculine noun and "verdes" is a feminine adjective. The correct way is "dois livros verdes" (two green books) but "duas cadeiras verdes" (two green chairs). - Brazilians often use plurals in ways that might sound strange to Portuguese speakers from Portugal. For example, they might say "os físicos" (the physicists) when speaking of a single physicist in a humble or ironic fashion. (this source is Correio Braziliense: [1]) - Portuguese-speaking countries have a rich literary history. Some authors who have contributed to Portuguese literature include Fernando Pessoa, Luís de Camões, Jorge Amado, and José Saramago.

Conclusion

In conclusion, plurals are an important part of Portuguese grammar, and mastering them will greatly improve your communication skills in Portuguese. Remember, practice is key to improving your language skills. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Sources


Retrieved from "https://polyglotclub.com/wiki/index.php?title=Language/Portuguese/Grammar/Plurals&oldid=165728"