Definite articles and agreement

In brief

Brazilian Portuguese uses four forms of the definite article, all meaning “the.” Choose the form that matches the noun’s grammatical gender and number. English has just one form, so check the Portuguese noun rather than translating “the” word for word.

Form

masculine singular: o; feminine singular: a; masculine plural: os; feminine plural: as. Put the article before the noun.

Usage

• Use o with a masculine singular noun and a with a feminine singular noun.
• Use os with masculine plural nouns and as with feminine plural nouns.
• The article agrees with the noun it accompanies, even when English always uses “the.”

Examples

• O livro está aqui. — The book is here.
• A casa é grande. — The house is big.
• Os livros estão aqui. — The books are here.
• As meninas estão aqui. — The girls are here.

Common mistake

❌ O casa é grande.

✅ A casa é grande.

Unlike English “the,” the Portuguese article must match its noun: casa is feminine, so use a.

Remember

Learn each noun with its article to remember which form of “the” it takes.