Portuguese · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 12
Tenho dois gatosI have two cats
The plural in Portuguese: add "-s" after a vowel (gato → gatos) or "-es" after a consonant (papel → papéis, mulher → mulheres). The article and adjective agree in gender and number: os gatos pretos, umas mesas pequenas. Everyday objects: gato, cachorro, livro, mesa, cadeira, copo, caneta, bolsa, coisa, muitos.
Dialogue
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Gato ou gatos?— gato or gatos?
- BiaMike, você tem animais?Mike, do you have pets?
- MikeTenho, tenho dois gato.Yes, I have two cat. (slip: plural needs "-s" — say "dois gatos")
- BiaDois gatos, com "-s". É plural.Dois gatos, with "-s". It's plural.
- MikeClaro: tenho dois gatos e muitos livros.Right: I have two cats and many books.
Dialogue
i
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Coisas na mesa— Things on the Table
- LucasBia, o que você tem na bolsa?Bia, what do you have in your bag?
- BiaTenho três livros e duas canetas.I have three books and two pens.
- LucasE muitas coisas na mesa: copos, cadeiras…And many things on the table: glasses, chairs…
- BiaÉ, temos muitas coisas.Yeah, we have many things.
Vocabulary
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- gato
n.m.cat (m)
- cachorro
n.m.dog (m)
- livro
n.m.book (m)
- mesa
n.f.table (f)
- cadeira
n.f.chair (f)
- copo
n.m.glass (m)
- caneta
n.f.pen (f)
- bolsa
n.f.bag (f)
- coisa
n.f.thing (f)
- muitos
adjectivemany
Grammar
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Plural and agreement
Explanation
The plural adds "-s" after a vowel: gato → gatos, mesa → mesas. After a consonant it adds "-es": mulher → mulheres. Words in -l become -is: papel → papéis. The core rule of Portuguese: when the noun is plural, the article and adjective are too, and they keep the gender. um gato → uns gatos; a mesa pequena → as mesas pequenas; o livro → os livros. The number goes before the plural noun: dois gatos, muitos livros, três cadeiras. The typical English mistake is dropping the "-s": "dois gato" instead of "dois gatos".
Examples
- Tenho dois gatos e um cachorro.I have two cats and a dog.
- As mesas são grandes.The tables are big.
- Tenho muitos livros.I have many books.
- Umas cadeiras pequenas e dois copos.Some small chairs and two glasses.
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