Portuguese grammar · Beginner (A1)
Possessives and demonstratives
My, your, his and our (meu, seu, dele, nosso), this and that (este, esse, aquele, isso), and their contractions such as nesse and daquele.
My, your, our
“Possessives” say who something belongs to. They agree with the thing owned, not with the owner: a man says (my house) because is feminine, and a woman says (my car).
In Brazil, / means “your” when you talk to , or . / goes with , but many Brazilians also use it with in relaxed speech. For “your” to several people, say : .
| Owner | Masculine | Feminine | Masculine plural | Feminine plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| , , | ||||
| , |
- Essa é a minha mãe e esses são os meus irmãos.This is my mother and these are my brothers.
- Qual é o seu nome?What's your name?
- Nossa casa fica perto da praia.Our house is near the beach.
His, her, their: dele, dela
Because means “your” in everyday Brazilian Portuguese, “his”, “her” and “their” are usually , , and (literally “of him”, “of her”, “of them”). They come after the noun, which takes the article, and they agree with the owner, not the thing: (her car), (his house).
In formal writing / can also mean “his”, “her” or “their”, and context tells you which: (The director and his team).
| Owner | Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| his brother | |||
| her daughter | |||
| their children | |||
| their flat | |||
| your house |
With or without the article
Before , , and the others, the article is optional in Brazil: and mean the same. In Portugal the article is normal. After the possessive often stands alone: (That book is mine.)
“A friend of mine” is , with the possessive after the noun. With family members in the plural, the article is common: (my parents).
- Meu celular está sem bateria.My phone's battery is dead.
- A chave é sua?Is the key yours?
- Ela é uma amiga minha.She's a friend of mine.
This and that: este, esse, aquele
“Demonstratives” point at things. is “this”, near the speaker; is “that”, near the person you're talking to; is “that over there”, far from both. They agree with the noun.
In Brazilian speech is used for “this” as well, and is kept mostly for writing: (How much is this T-shirt?) , and mean “this thing” or “that thing”. They never go before a noun and don't change: (What's that?) (Exactly!)
| Where | Masculine | Feminine | Plural | No noun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| near me | , | |||
| near you (in speech: also near me) | , | |||
| far from both of us | , |
- Vou levar esse vestido.I'll take this dress.
- Quem é aquela moça?Who's that young woman?
- Isso é muito caro.That's very expensive.
Contractions: nesse, daquele
Like the articles, demonstratives join with and : + = , + = . These contractions are always used, in speech and in writing. With , only , and contract, with a grave accent: , , .
| Preposition | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
- Nessa loja tudo é mais barato.In this shop everything is cheaper.
- Gostei daquele restaurante.I liked that restaurant.
- Eu não sei nada disso.I don't know anything about that.