Adjectives

Position of adjectives

An important difference between Portuguese and English is that the default position for attributive adjectives is after the noun in Portuguese.

Gender

Portuguese adjectives agree in gender and number with the nouns they refer to. So, adjectives tend to follow the same rules as nouns.

Note: As a rule, adjectives have a feminine form in -a, especially adjectives ending in -o, -ês, -or and -u:

magro > magra = thin

inglês > inglesa = English (man/woman)

encantador > encantadora = charming

nu > nua = naked

Note: But some adjectives ending in -or have the same form for both the masculine and the feminine:

anterior = anterior bicolor = bicolour

posterior = posterior interior = interior

incolor = colourless exterior = exterior

Note: The same happens with the comparative form of adjectives:

maior = bigger inferior = inferior

menor = smaller melhor = better

superior = superior pior = worse

Most adjectives ending in -a, -e, -ar, -l, -m, -s and -z in the masculine keep the same form in the feminine.

adjectives ending in -a:

altruísta
egoísta
hipócrita
narcisista
negativista

adjectives ending in -e:

alegre
breve
brilhante
carente
cativante

adjectives ending in -ar:

espetacular
familiar
regular
popular
singular

adjectives ending in -l

acessível
admirável
adorável
ágil
agradável

adjectives ending in -m

carmesim
carmim
comum
incomum
jovem

adjectives ending in -s

reles
simples

adjectives ending in -z

audaz
feliz
feroz
infeliz
perspicaz

Number

In matters of number, adjectives tend to follow the same rules as nouns

Note: Adjectives ending in -s have the same form in both singular and plural

Example: “Uma refeição simples”, “refeições simples”

Agreement

In Portuguese, adjectives always agree in gender and number with the nouns they qualify

Example: “O gato preto”, “A gata preta”

If the nouns are of different gender, the adjective goes into the masculine plural

Example: “Todos os alunos e alunas se sentem cansados depois de um dia de aulas.”

And if the nouns are of different number, the adjective changes to plural and agrees with the gender of the nouns it is qualifying, remembering that the masculine takes precedence over the feminine.

Example: “O cão e as gatas do vizinho são barulhentos.”