Basic Portuguese

20 Common Portuguese Adjectives Every Beginner Should Know

5 min readBy Adriely Góis

Olá! Vamos conversar. Adjectives bring opinion into a conversation. Without them you only describe facts. With them you start sounding like yourself.

The first twenty to learn

Bom, ruim, grande, pequeno, novo, velho, bonito, feio, caro, barato, fácil, difícil, quente, frio, cheio, vazio, perto, longe, rápido, lento.

Practice them in pairs of opposites. Your brain stores opposites together more efficiently than alphabetical lists.

Agreement in gender and number

Most adjectives ending in o switch to a for feminine and add s for plural. Um carro bonito. Uma casa bonita. Carros bonitos. Casas bonitas.

Adjectives ending in e or a consonant usually do not change for gender, only for number.

Vocabulário · Take this with you

Esse café é bom.This coffee is good.
Concordo, e a comida também.Agreed, and the food too.

Let's practice together

VocêEsse café é bom.This coffee is good.

AdrielyConcordo, e a comida também.Agreed, and the food too.

Adriely, sua professora brasileira. Te vejo na próxima aula.

Keep reading

Basic Portuguese

Brazilian Portuguese Pronunciation Guide for Beginners

Brazilian Portuguese vowels have a singing quality once you know the basic rules. Here is a clear walkthrough for English speakers.

Basic Portuguese

Portuguese Pronouns Explained Simply (Eu, Você, Ele, Ela)

Brazilian Portuguese subject pronouns demystified for English speakers, including when to use them and when to drop them.

Common Mistakes

Confusing Muito and Muitos

Muito changes its form depending on what it modifies. A clear guide for English speakers.

A1 Beginner Course

Ready to actually speak Brazilian Portuguese?

The articles above give you pieces. The Veritas Portuguese A1 course gives you the full path, with live lessons, a structured curriculum and a native teacher who corrects you in real time.

Start Learning Portuguese