Indefinite articles and agreement

In brief

Use an indefinite article when mentioning a person or thing without specifying which one: um or uma means ‘a/an’. The article agrees with the Portuguese noun’s gender, not with its English translation. In the plural, uns and umas usually mean ‘some’.

Form

masculine singular: um; feminine singular: uma; masculine plural: uns; feminine plural: umas + noun

Usage

• Choose um for a masculine singular noun and uma for a feminine singular noun.
• Choose uns or umas for an unspecified plural group, matching the noun’s gender.
• English a and an both translate according to the Portuguese noun’s gender, not its first sound.

Examples

• Tenho um livro. — I have a book.
• Ela tem uma bicicleta. — She has a bicycle.
• Comprei uns livros. — I bought some books.
• Tem umas maçãs na mesa. — There are some apples on the table.

Common mistake

❌ Tenho uma livro.

✅ Tenho um livro.

Livro is masculine, so its singular indefinite article is um, not uma.

Remember

Match the article to the Portuguese noun: um livro, uma bicicleta.