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Home → All Courses → Arts and Humanities Courses → Certified Portuguese Language Specialist → Flashcard

Explain the rules for forming possessive adjectives in Portuguese and provide examples.



In Portuguese, possessive adjectives are used to indicate ownership or possession. They agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Understanding the rules for forming possessive adjectives is crucial for accurately expressing possession in Portuguese. Let's explore the rules and provide examples to illustrate their usage.

1. Singular Possessive Adjectives:

* To form singular possessive adjectives, the endings change according to the gender of the noun they modify.Example (masculine):

* Meu livro - My book
* Seu carro - Your car (informal)
* O seu apartamento - Your apartment (formal)Example (feminine):

* Minha casa - My house
* Sua caneta - Your pen (informal)
* A sua bolsa - Your bag (formal)
2. Plural Possessive Adjectives:

* In the plural form, possessive adjectives also agree with the gender and number of the noun.Example (masculine):

* Meus livros - My books
* Seus carros - Your cars (informal)
* Os seus apartamentos - Your apartments (formal)Example (feminine):

* Minhas casas - My houses
* Suas canetas - Your pens (informal)
* As suas bolsas - Your bags (formal)
3. Position of Possessive Adjectives:

* Possessive adjectives in Portuguese usually precede the noun they modify.
* However, they can also follow the noun for emphasis or clarity.Example (preceding the noun):

* Meu amigo - My friend
* Nossa família - Our familyExample (following the noun):

* O amigo meu - My friend (emphatic)
* A família nossa - Our family (emphatic)
4. Agreement with Gender and Number:

* Possessive adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to.
* They have different forms depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine and singular or plural.Example:

* O meu livro (masculine singular)
* A minha caneta (feminine singular)
* Os meus livros (masculine plural)
* As minhas canetas (feminine plural)

The rules for forming possessive adjectives in Portuguese involve considering the gender and number of the noun being modified. By using the appropriate possessive adjective, speakers can accurately express possession in their sentences.