A1 · Unit 2 · Lesson 1
Gender, articles, and plurals
Why every noun has a gender, how articles bend around them, and the plural patterns that follow.
Every Portuguese noun is masculine or feminine, and the words around it must match — this lesson sorts out the articles and the plural endings.
The four “the”s and two “a/an”s
“The” is o (masculine) or a (feminine), with plurals os/as. “A/an” is um (masc.) and uma (fem.). The article copies the noun's gender.
o livro / a mesa
the book / the table
um gato e uma cadeira
a cat and a chair
os carros e as casas
the cars and the houses
Spotting gender by the ending
Most -o words are masculine and most -a words feminine, but endings like -agem (feminine) and the Greek -ma (masculine) break the rule, so learn the tricky ones.
o dia / a noite
the day / the night
a mensagem
the message
o programa
the programme
Building the plural
Most words simply add -s. Words ending in -r add -es, and many -ão words switch to -ões.
Spot the pattern
Look at the singular ending to predict the plural. Make your guess, then reveal.
um carro → dois carros
one car → two cars
a flor → as flores
the flower → the flowers
a estação → as estações
the station → the stations
Common mistakes
- — Gender isn't about meaning — “o problema” is masculine despite ending in -a.
- — Articles and adjectives copy the noun: “as casas brancas”, not “as casa branca”.
- — Not every -ão becomes -ões: “mão” turns into “mãos” and “irmão” into “irmãos”.
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