Portuguese · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 35
Muito arroz, pouco salA lot of rice, a little salt
Food vocabulary: o arroz, a água, o sal, o açúcar, a carne, a fruta, muito, pouco, um pouco de, gostoso. Key grammar: "muito" (much/many) and "pouco" (little/few) are quantity adjectives and AGREE with the noun in gender and number: muito arroz, muita água, muitos livros, muitas frutas; pouco sal, pouca carne. You do not put "de" after them: "muito arroz" (not "muito de arroz"). For a small amount of something uncountable, use the fixed expression "um pouco de" (invariable): "um pouco de sal", "um pouco de água". The classic mistake: in English "much/many" does not change with gender, so English speakers leave "muito" invariable: "muito água" ✗ → "muita água" ✓ (água is feminine). Sound corner: "muito" (nasal), "água" (gu), "açúcar" (ç).
Dialogue
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Muito ou muita água?— Muito or muita água?
- LucasMike, você quer beber o quê?Mike, what do you want to drink?
- MikeMuito água, por favor. Estou com sede.A lot of water, please. I am thirsty. (slip: água is feminine → "muita água")
- Lucas"água" é feminino, Mike. Então "muita água", com "-a"."água" is feminine, Mike. So "muita água", with "-a".
- MikeAh! Muita água, então. E muito arroz no almoço.Ah! Muita água, then. And a lot of rice for lunch.
- LucasIsso! "muito arroz" (masculino), "muita água" (feminino). E o sal?That's it! "muito arroz" (masculine), "muita água" (feminine). And the salt?
- MikeSó um pouco de sal. Isso não muda, né?Just a little salt. That one does not change, right?
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Na feira— At the street market
- BiaLucas, precisamos comprar comida para o almoço.Lucas, we need to buy food for lunch.
- LucasVamos levar muita fruta e um pouco de carne.Let us take a lot of fruit and a little meat.
- BiaE arroz? Temos pouco arroz em casa.And rice? We have little rice at home.
- LucasVerdade. Compramos muito arroz, então. E poucas cebolas.True. Let us buy a lot of rice, then. And a few onions.
- BiaPerfeito. Essa fruta está bem gostosa!Perfect. This fruit is really tasty!
- LucasEntão levamos muitas! O almoço vai ser ótimo.Then let us take a lot of them! Lunch is going to be great.
Vocabulary
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- o arroz
n.m.rice
- a água
n.f.water
- o sal
n.m.salt
- o açúcar
n.m.sugar
- a carne
n.f.meat
- a fruta
n.f.fruit
- muito
quant.much, many, a lot
- pouco
quant.little, few
- um pouco de
quant.a little (of)
- gostoso
adjectivetasty, delicious
Grammar
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muito and pouco agree; "um pouco de"
Explanation
When "muito" (much/many) and "pouco" (little/few) state the QUANTITY of a noun, they work as adjectives: they AGREE in gender and number with that noun. Masculine/feminine, singular/plural: muito arroz, muita água, muitos livros, muitas frutas; pouco sal, pouca carne, poucos ovos, poucas pessoas. You do not put "de" between the quantity and the noun: it is "muito arroz", never "muito de arroz". For a small amount of something uncountable (water, salt, coffee), there is the fixed expression "um pouco de", which does NOT change: "um pouco de sal", "um pouco de água", "um pouco de açúcar". (Careful: "muito" can also be an adverb and stay invariable before an adjective — "muito gostoso" (very tasty), "muito bom" — but before a noun, it agrees.) The classic mistake: in English "much" and "many" do not change with gender, so English speakers leave "muito" invariable before a feminine noun: "muito água" ✗. Since "água" is feminine, the correct form is "muita água" ✓.
Examples
- Eu quero muito arroz.I want a lot of rice.
- Tem muita água na garrafa.There is a lot of water in the bottle.
- Coloque só um pouco de sal.Put just a little salt.
- Compramos muitas frutas na feira.We bought a lot of fruit at the market.
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