Crase: a + a(s) in writing

In brief

In Brazilian Portuguese, crase is the grave accent in à or às. It shows that the preposition a and the feminine definite article a or as have come together. English may simply use ‘to’ or ‘at’, so check the Portuguese structure rather than translating word for word.

Form

a (preposition) + a (feminine article) → à; a + as → às.

Usage

• Use à before a feminine noun when the expression requires the preposition a and the noun takes the definite article a.
• Use às when the article is plural; this is common when stating a time, as in às oito (horas).
• If there is no feminine definite article, do not add the accent. Replacing the feminine noun with a masculine one can help: if the result is ao, use à in the original.

Examples

• Vou à escola amanhã. — I’m going to school tomorrow.
• Entreguei o documento à gerente. — I handed the document to the manager.
• A reunião começa às oito. — The meeting starts at eight.

Common mistake

❌ Vou a escola amanhã.

✅ Vou à escola amanhã.

Here, ir takes the preposition a, and escola takes the feminine article a. Together they are written à.

Remember

If the equivalent masculine phrase uses ao, the feminine phrase usually needs à.