0.1.3 Adjectives

Question 1

Translate to Portuguese:

lots of money

Answer 1

muito dinheiro

“lots of” (collective noun) = muito (m.)

In Portuguese, we say muito (m.) / muita (f.) with collective and uncountable nouns, like dinheiro (“money”).

That is why we say: muito dinheiro and not muitos dinheiros.

Question 2

Translate to Portuguese:

lots of kids

Answer 2

muitas crianças

“lots of” (f. plural noun) = muitas (f.)

Note that the adjective must match the noun in gender and number. Since crianças is feminine and plural, then we must use the feminine, plural version of muito → muitas.

Question 3

Translate to Portuguese:

a little money

Answer 3

um pouco de dinheiro

“a little” = um pouco

In Portuguese, when we talk about a small quantity of something uncountable (like money, water, etc.), we use the structure: um pouco (a little) + de (of) + [noun].

It’s literally saying “a little of”.

Question 4

Translate to Portuguese:

a small car

Answer 4

um carro pequeno

“small” = pequeno (m.)

Note that, unlike English, adjectives usually come after the noun in Portuguese: carro pequeno, not pequeno carro.

The adjective must match the noun in gender and number, e.g., carros pequenos.

Question 5

Translate to Portuguese:

a small house

Answer 5

uma casa pequena

“small” = pequena (f.)

Pequena is the feminine form of pequeno because casa is grammatically feminine. The adjective must match the noun in gender and number, e.g., casas pequenas.

Question 6

Translate to Portuguese:

a very small car

Answer 6

um carro muito pequeno

“very” = muito

Muito can be used to modify any adjective and, as an adverb, does not have to agree in quantity or gender.

e.g., carros muitos pequenos (“very small cars”) or casas muito pequenas (“very small houses”) are other potential phrases you could make.

Question 7

Translate to Portuguese:

a big car

Answer 7

um carro grande

“big” = grande

In Portuguese, grande doesn’t change for masculine/feminine nouns. i.e., um carro grande (m.), uma casa grande (f.).

Question 8

Translate to Portuguese:

The house is big.

Answer 8

A casa é grande.

“is” = é

É (with an acute accent) means “is” and is pronounced as (eh), as in the word bed. Don’t confuse it with e (without an accent), which is pronounced (ee) and means “and”.

Question 9

Translate to Portuguese:

here

Answer 9

aqui

Question 10

Translate to Portuguese:

It is here.

Answer 10

Está aqui.

“is” = está (temporary or location)

“is” = é (permanent)

So, está can be translated as “it is” when the subject is a location or a temporary condition/state.

For a fixed place, you can also say. É aqui = “It’s here.”

Question 11

Translate to Portuguese:

there

(formal)

Answer 11

ali / lá

Ali and lá both literally translate as “there,” but they refer to a place farther away from both you and the person you’re talking to.

Ali (a place not very far), lá is (farther away).

Question 12

Translate to Portuguese:

Are you there?

(informal)

Answer 12

Estás aí?

“there” = aí

In Portuguese, aí usually means an informal “there,” but it refers to a place near the person you are talking to. Think of aí as “there, by you.”

Estás is the informal version of estar, and is used when addressing someone directly.

Question 13

Translate to Portuguese:

There is a car over there.

(formal)

Answer 13

Há um carro lá.

“there is” = há

In Portuguese, we use há to say “there is” and “there are.”

Question 14

[What is being said in the audio recording?]

Answer 14

“Há muitas casas grandes aqui?”

Translation: “Are there many big houses here?”

In Portuguese, we use há to say “there is” and “there are.”

Question 15

Translate to Portuguese:

a person

Answer 15

uma pessoa

“person” = pessoa

Pessoa is always grammatically feminine, regardless of who it refers to.

Question 16

Translate to Portuguese:

two people

Answer 16

duas pessoas

“people” = pessoas

Note that in Portuguese, the number “two” has two grammatical forms: dois (m.) and duas (f.). Here, you use duas because pessoa is a feminine noun.

Question 17

Translate to Portuguese:

people

Answer 17

gente

“people” = gente (f.)

Note that gente means “people,” but it behaves like a singular noun in Portuguese. e.g., muita gente → “a lot of people.”(singular)

For contrast, the noun pessoas (“persons/people”) is the standard plural noun and must take plural agreement. e.g., muitas pessoas (plural), meaning “many people.”

Question 18

[What is being said in the audio recording?]

Answer 18

Mulher: Há muita gente aí?

Homem: Não, há pouca gente aqui.

Translation:

Woman: “Are there a lot of people there?”

Man: “No, there are few people here.”

Question 19

Translate to Portuguese:

a big dog

Answer 19

um cão grande

“dog”= cão (m.)

Question 20

Translate to Portuguese:

Is the dog big?

Answer 20

A cadela é grande?

“dog”=cadela (f.)

Question 21

Translate to Portuguese:

Is the cat small?

Answer 21

O gato é pequeno?

“cat” = gato (m.)

For the feminine form, it would be a gata.

Note that in Portuguese, yes/no questions usually keep the same word order as statements. You just raise your intonation at the end, like saying “You speak English?” in English.

Question 22

Translate to Portuguese:

a new car

Answer 22

um carro novo

“new” = novo (m.)

Most adjectives ending in -o change to -a to match feminine nouns, e.g., novo → nova.

Question 23

Translate to Portuguese:

an old woman

Answer 23

uma mulher velha

“old” = velha (f.)

To make velha masculine, change the ending -a to -o: velha → velho. Both mean “old” for people or objects.

Question 24

Translate to Portuguese:

a young man

Answer 24

um homem jovem

“young” = jovem

Jovem means “young” and it works for both masculine and feminine.

You may also hear novo (m.) / nova (f.) which means “new” to describe a young adult.

Question 25

# Translate to Portuguese: a _young lady_

Answer 25

uma _miúda_ ## Footnote "young lady" = *miúda* In Portugal, *miúda* is commonly used to refer to young adult women in casual and informal contexts. Note that *Menina* can also be used for girls of all ages but is most commonly associated with children and younger people, and it is generally not used to address older women.

Question 26

# Translate to Portuguese: a _baby_

Answer 26

um _bebé_ ## Footnote "baby" = *bebé* In Portuguese, *bebé* is usually masculine, *o bebé*. But it is possible to adopt feminine forms *a bebé* (the baby) when referring to a baby girl. Both are correct.

Question 27

# Translate to Portuguese: a _cute_ baby

Answer 27

um bebé _fofo_ ## Footnote "cute" = *fofo* In Portuguese, *bebé* is a common-gender noun, but the adjective agrees with the baby's real gender. i.e., *fofo* (boy) and *fofa* ("girl").

Question 28

# Translate to Portuguese: cute young babies

Answer 28

bebés jovens e fofos ## Footnote Note that you can put more than one adjective after a noun. i.e., *bebés jovens e fofos* ("cute young babies").

Question 29

# Translate to Portuguese: two _good_ teachers and two _good_ students

Answer 29

duas professoras _boas_ e dois estudantes _bons_ | (f.) (plural) / (m.) (plural) ## Footnote "good" = *boas* / *bons* Remember that adjectives and articles must agree in both gender and quantity with the noun they are modifying. e.g., *um bebé bom* (m. sing.), *uma criança boa* (f. sing.), *uns professores bons* (m. pl.), *umas crianças boas* (f. pl.).

Question 30

# Translate to Portuguese: handsome

Answer 30

bonito ## Footnote In Portuguese, *bonito* is not only for adults. You can use it for: babies, animals, or even objects. A baby can be *bonito*, a dog can be *bonito*, and a book or place can also be *bonito*. It can mean “good-looking,” “nice,” or “pleasant,” depending on the context.

Question 31

# Translate to Portuguese: an _attractive_ woman

Answer 31

uma mulher _atraente_ ## Footnote "attractive" = *atraente*

Question 32

# Translate to Portuguese: a _lady_

Answer 32

uma _senhora_ ## Footnote "Lady” = *Senhora* When addressing older women in Portugal, it is appropriate to use *Senhora*. Another common and polite option is *Dona* followed by the person’s name. However, some women may not like that since it makes them feel elderly, when in doubt, using the person’s name is often the most natural choice.

Question 33

# Translate to Portuguese: a _pretty_ lady

Answer 33

uma senhora _bonita_ ## Footnote "pretty" = *bonita* (f.) Note that the word "handsome" (*bonito*) becomes "pretty" (*bonita*) simply by changing the last letter to make it feminine.

Question 34

# Translate to Portuguese: a _beautiful_ woman

Answer 34

uma mulher _linda_ ## Footnote "beautiful" = *linda* (f.) *Linda* is stronger than *bonita* and means "beautiful." It can even be used for men, to describe a very handsome man, you say *lindo*.

Question 35

[What is being said in the audio recording?]

Answer 35

"Uau, que lindo!" ## Footnote _Translation_: "Wow, how beautiful!" Note that the adjectives *lindo* / *linda* can also describe things and places.

Question 36

[What is being said in the audio recording?]

Answer 36

"Ah, que fofo!" ## Footnote _Translation_: "Aw, how cute!”

Question 37

[What is being said in the audio recording?]

Answer 37

“Credo, que feio!” ## Footnote _Translation_: "Ew, how ugly!"