Understanding Adjective Agreement in Português
In Português, adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe. This means that the adjective changes its form depending on the gender and number of the noun.
Important Points
- Gender Agreement: Adjectives change form to match the gender of the noun. Masculine nouns usually end with '-o', while feminine nouns end with '-a'.
- Number Agreement: Adjectives also change to match whether the noun is singular or plural.
- Regular Adjectives: Most adjectives follow a regular pattern of changing '-o' to '-a' for feminine and adding '-s' for plural.
- Irregular Adjectives: Some adjectives have unique forms and do not follow the regular pattern.
Let's look at some examples to understand how adjectives change in different situations.
Examples
- O carro vermelho - The red car (Masculine singular)
- A casa vermelha - The red house (Feminine singular)
- Os carros vermelhos - The red cars (Masculine plural)
- As casas vermelhas - The red houses (Feminine plural)
Some adjectives do not change with gender, like those ending in '-e' or consonants. However, they still change for number.
Examples
- O livro interessante - The interesting book (Masculine singular)
- A história interessante - The interesting story (Feminine singular)
- Os livros interessantes - The interesting books (Masculine plural)
- As histórias interessantes - The interesting stories (Feminine plural)