A1 Portuguese GrammarBasic Adjectives
Describe people, places, and things with Portuguese adjectives. Learn how adjectives agree with nouns in gender and number, and understand their placement after nouns.
1Adjective Agreement
Portuguese adjectives must agree with nouns in gender and number. Most adjectives have four forms: masc. sing., fem. sing., masc. pl., fem. pl. Adjectives typically come after the noun.
Adjective Forms (-o/-a pattern)
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | bonito | bonitos |
| feminine | bonita | bonitas |
Examples
O carro é bonito.
The car is beautiful.
bonito (masc. sing.)
A casa é bonita.
The house is beautiful.
bonita (fem. sing.)
Os carros são bonitos.
The cars are beautiful.
bonitos (masc. pl.)
As casas são bonitas.
The houses are beautiful.
bonitas (fem. pl.)
2Invariable Adjectives
Adjectives ending in -e or a consonant have only two forms (singular/plural), not four. They don't change for gender. Common examples: grande, triste, feliz, difÃcil.
Two-Form Adjectives
| Adjective | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| grande (big) | grande | grandes |
| triste (sad) | triste | tristes |
| feliz (happy) | feliz | felizes |
| fácil (easy) | fácil | fáceis |
Examples
O homem é grande.
The man is big.
grande (same for masc.)
A mulher é grande.
The woman is big.
grande (same for fem.)
Estou muito feliz.
I am very happy.
feliz (no gender change)
As crianças estão tristes.
The children are sad.
tristes (plural)
3Common Adjectives
Here are essential Portuguese adjectives for basic descriptions. Learn them in masculine singular form and practice changing endings for gender and number agreement.
Basic Adjective Vocabulary
| Portuguese | English | Opposite |
|---|---|---|
| grande | big | pequeno |
| bom | good | mau |
| novo | new/young | velho |
| bonito | beautiful | feio |
Examples
Tenho um carro novo.
I have a new car.
novo (masc.)
A comida é boa.
The food is good.
boa (fem. of bom)
O tempo está mau.
The weather is bad.
mau (masc.)
A cidade é velha.
The city is old.
velha (fem.)
4Adjective Position
Most adjectives come after the noun in Portuguese. Some common short adjectives (bom, mau, grande, pequeno) can come before, sometimes with meaning change. Grande before = great; after = big.
Position and Meaning
| Before Noun | After Noun | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| um grande homem | um homem grande | great man vs. big man |
| um bom amigo | um amigo bom | both: good friend |
| uma nova casa | uma casa nova | another house vs. new house |
Examples
É um grande escritor.
He's a great writer.
grande before = great
É um escritor grande.
He's a big writer.
grande after = physically big
Tenho um bom carro.
I have a good car.
bom often before noun
É uma pessoa simpática.
She's a nice person.
most adjectives after