Portuguese · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 9
Minha família é grandeMy family is big
Adjective agreement: the adjective matches the noun in gender — meu irmão é alto (my brother is tall), minha irmã é alta. New adjectives: alto/a (tall), baixo/a (short), bonito/a (pretty), jovem (young), mais velho (older). And how to say where the family lives: morar em (to live in), com (with) — "moro em uma casa com meus pais". Today's culture section: The Brazilian family.
Dialogue
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
Minha família é grande— My Family Is Big
- LucasMinha família é grande. Meu irmão é alto e minha irmã é alta.My family is big. My brother is tall and my sister is tall.
- MikeSua mãe é alto também?Is your mother tall too? (slip: alto, mãe is feminine → alta)
- LucasÉ "alta" — mãe é feminina. Ela é alta e bonita. Meu pai é baixo.It's "alta" — mãe is feminine. She is tall and pretty. My father is short.
- MikeSua mãe é alta e seu pai é baixo. Que família bonita!Your mother is tall and your father is short. What a pretty family!
Dialogue
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
Onde você mora?— Where Do You Live?
- BiaEu moro em uma casa com meus pais. E você?I live in a house with my parents. And you?
- MikeEu moro uma casa com meu irmão.I live a house with my brother. (slip: dropped em; should be moro em uma casa)
- BiaMoro EM uma casa — com o "em". A casa é grande?It's moro EM uma casa — with "em" (in). Is the house big?
- MikeNão, é pequena, mas é bonita. Moro em uma casa pequena.No, it's small, but it's pretty. I live in a small house.
Vocabulary
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
- alto / alta
adjectivetall (m / f)
- baixo / baixa
adjectiveshort (m / f)
- bonito / bonita
adjectivepretty (m / f)
- jovem
adjectiveyoung
- mais velho
adjectiveolder
- casa
n.f.house (f)
- morar
verbto live
- em
prepositionin, on
- com
prepositionwith
- mas
conjunctionbut
Grammar
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
Adjective agreement
Explanation
The adjective agrees in gender with the noun, just as the article and possessive already did. Adjectives ending in -o switch to -a in the feminine: meu irmão é alto (my brother is tall), minha irmã é alta; o avô é velho, a avó é velha. Those ending in -e or a consonant don't change: jovem, grande, bom work for both — uma casa grande, um irmão grande. This closes the chain: article + possessive + demonstrative + adjective, all agreeing with the noun.
Examples
- Meu irmão é alto, mas minha irmã é baixa.My brother is tall, but my sister is short.
- Minha mãe é bonita e jovem.My mother is pretty and young.
- Eu moro em uma casa com meus pais.I live in a house with my parents.
- Meu avô é mais velho, mas é muito bom.My grandfather is older, but he is very good.
Culture
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
A família brasileiraThe Brazilian family
Family is at the centre of Brazilian life — large, close, loud, and affectionate.
Big and close
The extended family gathers often: the weekend churrasco (barbecue) and Sunday lunch bring everyone together. Cousins, aunts and uncles, and godparents (padrinhos) are central — not distant relatives.
Living together longer
Young adults often live with their parents into their late twenties. It is normal and not judged — it is part of a close family, not a sign of failure.
Affection is open
Hugs, kisses, and affectionate names (querido, meu amor, and even filho to someone who is not your child) are normal. Warmth is the default register, and asking about someone's family is friendly and expected.
Rule of thumb: accept the invitations (especially the churrasco), show interest in family, and match warmth with warmth — Brazilians read reserve as coldness.
Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?
Study in the app →