3Module 3

Noun & Adjective Agreement

Concordância de Nomes e Adjectivos

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Key Concept

In Portuguese, an adjective is a mirror. It must perfectly reflect the Gender (Masculine/Feminine) and Number (Singular/Plural) of the noun it describes. This applies to all descriptive words, including colors.
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Cantonese Speaker Tip

廣東話形容詞完全唔變：「高」就係「高」，男女一樣。 葡文就唔同！形容詞要跟名詞配合：

男: O carro é caro（貴） → 女: A mala é cara（貴）。 結尾 -o 變 -a，這個規則同名詞性別一樣！

The basic formula is simple: masculine adjectives typically end in -o and feminine in -a. Plurals add -s. Colors follow the same pattern but with some strict exceptions — some colors only change for number (not gender), and compound colors never change at all.

Key Phrase — Try saying it!

O carro é caro. A mala é cara.

Rule A: The Basic Agreement Formula

Masc.
Fem.
Masc. Pl.
Fem. Pl.
Masc.
Fem.
Masc. Pl.
Fem. Pl.
Masc.
Fem.
Masc. Pl.
Fem. Pl.
Masc.
Fem.
Masc. Pl.
Fem. Pl.
Masc.
Fem.
Masc. Pl.
Fem. Pl.
Masc.
Fem.
Masc. Pl.
Fem. Pl.
Masc.
Fem.
Masc. Pl.
Fem. Pl.
Masc.
Fem.
Masc. Pl.
Fem. Pl.
Masc.
Fem.
Masc. Pl.
Fem. Pl.
Masc.
Fem.
Masc. Pl.
Fem. Pl.
Masc.
Fem.
Masc. Pl.
Fem. Pl.
Masc.
Fem.
Masc. Pl.
Fem. Pl.

Rule B: The Color Exceptions

1
Standard Colors (4 forms)

Change both gender and number: -o/-a/-os/-as

branco / branca / brancos / brancaswhite
preto / preta / pretos / pretasblack
vermelho / vermelha / vermelhos / vermelhasred
amarelo / amarela / amarelos / amarelasyellow
2
"-e" or "-l" Colors (2 forms)

Do not change for gender, only add plural

verde → verdesgreen
azul → azuisblue
3
Compound Colors (Invariant)

Never change — always the same form

(invariant)orange
(invariant)pink

Examples

The car is expensive.
carros
The cars are expensive.
The bag is expensive.
The bags are expensive.
The man is tall.
The woman is tall.
homens
The men are tall.
mulheres
The women are tall.
The cat is black.
The female cat is black.
The car is white.
The house is white.
The shoes are red.
The flowers are red.
The dress is yellow.
The wall is yellow.
The book is green.
livros
The books are green.
The sky is blue.
The eyes are blue.
The dress is pink.
The shoes are orange.
The boy is handsome.
The girl is pretty.
rapazes
The boys are handsome.
raparigas
The girls are pretty.
He is fat and short.
She is thin and tall.
The teacher is old. (male)
The teacher is young. (female)
The dog is ugly but nice.
The house is big and beautiful.
The cats are white and pretty.
The flowers are yellow and red.
Concordância dos Adjetivos — Summary of Adjective Agreement4-Form Agreement PatternAdjectiveMasc. sg.Fem. sg.Masc. pl.Fem. pl.caro (expensive)carocaracaroscarasbonito (pretty)bonitobonitabonitosbonitasalto (tall)altoaltaaltosaltasColor CategoriesStandard (4 forms)branco → branca → brancos → brancasSame -o → -a pattern as regular adjectives-E/-L colors (2 forms only)verde → verdes azul → azuisNo masculine/feminine distinction — only singular vs. pluralCompound (invariant)cor-de-rosa cor-de-laranjaNever changes — same form for all genders and numbersKey RuleStandard: -o → -a for feminine | -E/-L: only add -s for plural | Compound: never changes
Practice Time
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