Welcome to your ultimate guide on adjective agreement in Portuguese! If you’re diving into Portuguese, adjective agreement can feel like uncharted territory. In Portuguese, adjectives must match the nouns they describe in both gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). Don’t worry; we’ll break it down step by step, making this essential grammar point easy to understand and apply.

1. Gender Agreement: Match Made in Grammar Heaven

In Portuguese, every noun has a gender. Let’s see how adjectives follow suit:

• Masculine Nouns:
  • Often end in -o, -or, -im, or consonants
  • Adjectives typically end in -o
  • Examples: O carro vermelho (The red car), O professor alto (The tall teacher)
• Feminine Nouns:
  • Often end in -a, -ção, -dade, or -gem
  • Adjectives typically end in -a
  • Examples: A casa vermelha (The red house), A professora alta (The tall teacher)
• Exceptions to the Rule:
  • Some adjectives keep the same form for both genders.
  • Examples: O/A estudante inteligente (The intelligent student), O homem/A mulher feliz (The happy man/woman)

2. Number Agreement: Singular vs. Plural Harmony

Adjectives also need to agree with the number of the noun:

• Singular Nouns: Use the singular form of the adjective (usually ending in -o or -a)
  • Examples: O livro interessante (The interesting book), A flor bonita (The beautiful flower)
• Plural Nouns: Add -s to most adjectives (some irregular forms exist)
  • Examples: Os livros interessantes (The interesting books), As flores bonitas (The beautiful flowers)

3. The Dynamic Duo: Combined Gender and Number Agreement

Now, let’s put it all together:

• O carro novo (The new car)
• Os carros novos (The new cars)
• A casa nova (The new house)
• As casas novas (The new houses)

4. Multiple Nouns: Masculine Plural Takes the Lead

When an adjective describes nouns of different genders, use the masculine plural form:

• O homem e a mulher são altos. (The man and the woman are tall.)

5. The Unchanging Ones: Invariable Adjectives

Some adjectives don’t change form at all:

• O/A estudante marrom (The brown student)
• Os/As estudantes marrom (The brown students)

Practice Time! Test Your Skills:

1. A menina bonita tem um cachorro pequeno.
2. Os carros vermelhos são rápidos e caros.
3. As aulas interessantes atraem muitos alunos.
4. O café quente e a torta doce são deliciosos.
5. As crianças felizes brincam no parque verde.

Key Takeaway: Mastering adjective agreement is a journey. Immerse yourself in the language, pay attention to word endings, and practice regularly. Soon, this grammatical skill will become second nature!

Next: Position of adjectives

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