A1 Portuguese GrammarPlural Nouns
Form Portuguese noun plurals correctly. Most nouns add -s, but endings like -ão, -l, -m have special rules. Learn the regular and irregular plural patterns.
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1Regular Plurals (add -s)
Most Portuguese nouns form plurals by adding -s to words ending in a vowel. This is the most common and simple pattern. The article also changes to plural form.
Regular Plural Formation
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| o livro | os livros | book(s) |
| a casa | as casas | house(s) |
| o carro | os carros | car(s) |
| a mesa | as mesas | table(s) |
Examples
Tenho dois livros.
I have two books.
livro → livros (+s)
As casas são bonitas.
The houses are beautiful.
casa → casas (+s)
Os carros são rápidos.
The cars are fast.
carro → carros (+s)
Comprei quatro cadeiras.
I bought four chairs.
cadeira → cadeiras (+s)
2Nouns Ending in -ão
Nouns ending in -ão have three possible plural forms: -ões (most common), -ães, or -ãos. Unfortunately, you must learn which pattern each word follows.
-ão Plural Patterns
| Singular | Plural | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| a nação | as nações | -ão → -ões |
| o pão | os pães | -ão → -ães |
| a mão | as mãos | -ão → -ãos |
| o irmão | os irmãos | -ão → -ãos |
Examples
Há muitas nações no mundo.
There are many nations in the world.
nação → nações (-ões)
Comprei dois pães.
I bought two loaves of bread.
pão → pães (-ães)
Tenho duas mãos.
I have two hands.
mão → mãos (-ãos)
Os meus irmãos moram em Lisboa.
My brothers live in Lisbon.
irmão → irmãos (-ãos)
3Nouns Ending in -l
Nouns ending in -l drop the -l and add -is. For -il, stressed syllable becomes -is, unstressed becomes -eis. This rule has few exceptions.
-l Plural Patterns
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| o animal | os animais | animal(s) |
| o jornal | os jornais | newspaper(s) |
| o hotel | os hotéis | hotel(s) |
| fácil | fáceis | easy |
Examples
Os animais estão no jardim.
The animals are in the garden.
animal → animais (-l → -is)
Leio dois jornais.
I read two newspapers.
jornal → jornais
Há muitos hotéis na cidade.
There are many hotels in the city.
hotel → hotéis (-el → -éis)
As perguntas são fáceis.
The questions are easy.
fácil → fáceis (-il → -eis)
4Nouns Ending in -m, -r, -s, -z
Nouns ending in -m change to -ns. Nouns ending in -r, -s (stressed), or -z add -es. Words ending in unstressed -s don't change in the plural.
Other Plural Patterns
| Singular | Plural | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| o homem | os homens | -m → -ns |
| a mulher | as mulheres | -r → -res |
| o país | os países | -s (stressed) → -ses |
| a luz | as luzes | -z → -zes |
Examples
Os homens trabalham aqui.
The men work here.
homem → homens (-m → -ns)
As mulheres são fortes.
Women are strong.
mulher → mulheres (-r → -res)
Visitei muitos países.
I visited many countries.
país → países (-s → -ses)
As luzes estão acesas.
The lights are on.
luz → luzes (-z → -zes)
Practice Exercises
3 exercises
'I have two books': Tenho dois ___.
'All the animals come': Todos os ___ vêm.
'They are brothers': Eles são ___.
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