A2 Nouns & Articles 12 min read Easy

Portuguese Plurals: The 3 endings for -ÃO

While -ões is the most common plural for -ão words, high-frequency words like 'bread', 'hand', and 'brother' follow unique patterns you must memorize.
Mark as Learned
Practice it

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Nouns ending in -ão have three different plural forms: -ões, -ães, and -ãos. You must memorize which one applies to each word.

  • -ão becomes -ões (most common): lição -> lições.
  • -ão becomes -ães (rare): cão -> cães.
  • -ão becomes -ãos (common): irmão -> irmãos.
Singular (-ão) ➔ Plural (-ões / -ães / -ãos)

Overview

The Portuguese language, with its rich phonology, presents a unique challenge to learners when it comes to forming the plural of nouns ending in the nasal diphthong -ão. This particular ending, a distinctive feature of Portuguese, does not follow the straightforward pluralization rules of simply adding -s or -es as seen with most other nouns. Instead, words terminating in -ão diverge into three distinct plural forms: -ões, -ães, and -ãos.

This grammatical phenomenon often appears daunting to learners at the A2 level, yet it is foundational for accurate expression and comprehension. Mastering these variations is not merely about memorization but understanding the underlying linguistic patterns and historical developments that shaped them. You'll find these plurals in high-frequency vocabulary, making their correct usage indispensable for daily communication.

How This Grammar Works

The intricate pluralization of -ão nouns is a fascinating reflection of Portuguese's Latin heritage. While the singular form -ão emerged as a common ending, it historically converged from several different Latin noun endings. When these words transitioned into plural, they often retained echoes of their original Latin declensions, leading to the three modern plural forms.
This is not arbitrary complexity; rather, it is a morphological fossil record. The most significant historical influences stem from Latin words ending in -anem (accusative of -ans), -onem (accusative of -o), and -anum (often neuter plurals or words that had -an in other Romance languages). Consequently, words deriving from these distinct Latin roots often align with one of the three Portuguese plural patterns.
Another critical factor in determining the correct plural is the stress pattern of the singular noun. Portuguese words are categorized by the position of their tonic (stressed) syllable. For nouns ending in -ão, if the stress falls on the penultimate syllable (second to last), these words are classified as paroxytones.
Paroxytonic -ão nouns exhibit a highly consistent pluralization, almost universally forming their plural with -ãos. Conversely, if the stress falls on the final syllable, these are oxytones. The pluralization of oxytone -ão nouns is less predictable and is where the other two patterns, -ões and -ães, primarily manifest.
For example, órfão (orphan) is a paroxytone, stressed on ór, leading to órfãos. In contrast, coração (heart) is an oxytone, stressed on ção, resulting in corações. Understanding this distinction is your primary tool for navigating this grammar point.
The nasal quality of the diphthong, however, remains a constant across all singular and plural forms, distinguishing these words phonetically from non-nasal endings.

Formation Pattern

1
To systematically approach the pluralization of -ão nouns, you should focus on the three primary patterns. While memorization of common words is essential, recognizing the stress pattern provides a powerful heuristic, particularly for the -ãos group. The following table summarizes these patterns:
2
| Singular Ending | Plural Ending | Stress Pattern (Primary Guideline) | Common Origins (Generalized) | Example (Singular -> Plural) | Type of Nouns Often Included |
3
| :-------------- | :------------ | :--------------------------------- | :--------------------------- | :---------------------------- | :--------------------------- |
4
| -ão | -ões | Oxytone (stressed on last syllable) | Latin -onem | coração -> corações (heart) | Augmentatives, abstract nouns, actions |
5
| -ão | -ães | Oxytone (stressed on last syllable) | Latin -anem | pão -> pães (bread) | Nationalities, certain professions, animals |
6
| -ão | -ãos | Paroxytone (stressed on penultimate syllable) OR monosyllabic | Latin -anum, some proper nouns | irmão -> irmãos (brother) | Family members, parts of the body, nouns with a written accent on a |
7
Let's break down each pattern with additional detail:
8
The -ões Pattern: This is the most frequent pluralization for -ão nouns, encompassing the majority of words. It often applies to oxytones, particularly abstract nouns, nouns denoting actions, or augmentatives (forms indicating larger size). Examples include nação (nation) becoming nações, opinião (opinion) transforming into opiniões, and lição (lesson) pluralizing as lições. Nouns referring to large objects or intense actions frequently fall into this category: balão (balloon) -> balões, caminhão (truck) -> caminhões, confusão (confusion) -> confusões. If you're uncertain and the word is an oxytone, -ões is statistically your best initial guess. Historically, many of these words stem from Latin nouns ending in -ionem, which consistently evolved into this plural form.
9
The -ães Pattern: This group is smaller but contains several high-frequency words essential for basic communication. These are almost exclusively oxytones. Common examples include words for food, animals, and nationalities or professions. Pão (bread) pluralizes to pães, cão (dog) becomes cães, and alemão (German) changes to alemães. Other notable examples are capitão (captain) -> capitães and charlatão (charlatan) -> charlatães. These words often derive from Latin nouns ending in -anem, preserving a distinct plural form. You will encounter these regularly, so commit them to memory.
10
The -ãos Pattern: This pattern is often the most predictable. If a noun ending in -ão is a paroxytone (i.e., the stress falls on the a syllable, often indicated by an acute or circumflex accent on the a), its plural is almost always -ãos. Examples are órfão (orphan) -> órfãos, bênção (blessing) -> bênçãos, and sótão (attic) -> sótãos. This rule holds true for a significant number of words, making it a reliable indicator. Additionally, some common monosyllabic oxytones and family relation terms also adopt this pattern: mão (hand) -> mãos, irmão (brother) -> irmãos, and cidadão (citizen) -> cidadãos. Proper nouns, when pluralized, also typically follow this pattern, such as João -> Joãos (though pluralizing personal names is less common than other nouns).
11
Key Heuristics for Learners:
12
Paroxytones with -ão (stress on a) always take -ãos. This is your strongest rule.
13
If the word describes a nationality or a profession, it's frequently -ães (alemão -> alemães, capitão -> capitães).
14
If it's an augmentative or an abstract concept, it's often -ões (balão -> balões, emoção -> emoções).
15
When in doubt with oxytones, and if neither of the above heuristics applies clearly, -ões is the most common default.

Gender & Agreement

Like all Portuguese nouns, those ending in -ão possess a grammatical gender, either masculine or feminine. This gender remains consistent in the plural form. Crucially, any accompanying articles, adjectives, or demonstratives must agree in both gender and number with the noun.
Neglecting this agreement is a common error that can impede clear communication and mark a learner's proficiency.
For masculine nouns, the definite article o becomes os in the plural, and indefinite articles um becomes uns. For example:
  • o irmão (the brother) -> os irmãos (the brothers)
  • um cidadão (a citizen) -> uns cidadãos (some citizens)
  • o coração (the heart) -> os corações (the hearts)
  • um pão (a bread) -> uns pães (some breads)
For feminine nouns, the definite article a becomes as in the plural, and indefinite articles uma becomes umas. For example:
  • a mão (the hand) -> as mãos (the hands)
  • uma opinião (an opinion) -> umas opiniões (some opinions)
  • a lição (the lesson) -> as lições (the lessons)
  • uma razão (a reason) -> umas razões (some reasons)
Adjectives modifying these nouns must also agree. If the noun is masculine plural, the adjective must be masculine plural. If feminine plural, the adjective must be feminine plural.
  • o pão quente (the hot bread) -> os pães quentes (the hot breads)
  • a opinião clara (the clear opinion) -> as opiniões claras (the clear opinions)
  • o cidadão exemplar (the exemplary citizen) -> os cidadãos exemplares (the exemplary citizens)
  • a nação forte (the strong nation) -> as nações fortes (the strong nations)
It is important to note that certain nouns ending in -ão, particularly those denoting nationalities or professions, have distinct feminine forms. When these feminine forms are pluralized, they follow the standard feminine pluralization (adding -s if the singular ends in a vowel, or -es if it ends in -r or -z, etc.) and not the complex -ão rules. For instance:
  • o alemão (the German man) -> os alemães
  • a alemã (the German woman) -> as alemãs
  • o cristão (the Christian man) -> os cristãos
  • a cristã (the Christian woman) -> as cristãs
This distinction is vital for maintaining grammatical accuracy and ensuring that your speech is both intelligible and culturally appropriate. Always identify the gender of the noun and ensure all accompanying words align with it.

When To Use It

Correctly forming the plural of -ão nouns is not a theoretical exercise; it is fundamental to everyday communication in Portuguese. These words populate some of the most common semantic fields, from basic necessities to abstract concepts and social interactions. You will employ these plurals constantly across various contexts:
In Everyday Transactions and Descriptions:
  • Ordering food: Queria três pães de queijo, por favor. (I'd like three cheese breads, please.) Here, pão (bread) -> pães is an -ães plural.
  • Referring to family: Meus irmãos visitaram a cidade. (My brothers visited the city.) Irmão (brother) -> irmãos is an -ãos plural.
  • Discussing body parts: Lave bem as mãos antes de comer. (Wash your hands well before eating.) Mão (hand) -> mãos is another -ãos plural.
In Expressing Abstract Ideas and Opinions:
  • Sharing thoughts: Temos opiniões diferentes sobre o filme. (We have different opinions about the movie.) Opinião (opinion) -> opiniões is an -ões plural.
  • Giving reasons: Havia muitas razões para a sua decisão. (There were many reasons for his/her decision.) Razão (reason) -> razões is an -ões plural.
  • Describing actions: As ações do governo foram questionadas. (The government's actions were questioned.) Ação (action) -> ações is an -ões plural.
In Social and Cultural Contexts:
  • Referring to citizens or nationalities: Os cidadãos se manifestaram pacificamente. (The citizens demonstrated peacefully.) Cidadão (citizen) -> cidadãos is an -ãos plural.
  • Os alemães são famosos pela sua pontualidade. (Germans are famous for their punctuality.) Alemão (German) -> alemães is an -ães plural.
  • Political discourse: As eleições estão se aproximando. (The elections are approaching.) Eleição (election) -> eleições is an -ões plural.
Whether you are shopping, talking about your life, or engaging in more complex discussions, these plural forms are ubiquitous. Using them correctly not only enhances your accuracy but also signals a deeper understanding of the Portuguese language's fundamental structures. Their frequent appearance in daily vocabulary means you cannot avoid them; instead, you must engage with and master them.

Common Mistakes

Learners at the A2 level frequently encounter specific pitfalls when pluralizing -ão nouns. These errors often stem from over-generalization, incomplete memorization, or a lack of understanding of the underlying stress patterns.
  1. 1Over-generalizing to -ões: Because -ões is the most common plural form, many beginners incorrectly apply it to all -ão nouns. This leads to errors such as:
  • Incorrect: mões instead of mãos for mão (hand).
  • Incorrect: pões instead of pães for pão (bread).
  • Incorrect: cidadões instead of cidadãos for cidadão (citizen).
  • Correction Strategy: Actively identify high-frequency exceptions like pão, mão, irmão, and cidadão and commit their correct plural forms to memory. For other words, check the stress: if it's a paroxytone, it's ãos.
  1. 1Confusing Stress Patterns for -ãos: Learners often miss the crucial rule regarding paroxytones, leading them to use -ões or -ães where -ãos is correct. Words like órfão (orphan) or bênção (blessing) are stressed on the a and thus take -ãos.
  • Incorrect: órfões or bênções instead of órfãos or bênçãos.
  • Correction Strategy: Always pay attention to written accents. If ão has an accent on the a (e.g., órfão, bênção), it's a strong indicator for the -ãos plural.
  1. 1Forgetting Feminine Agreement: While the pluralization rules for the noun itself are key, learners sometimes forget that articles and adjectives must also agree in gender with the pluralized noun. For example, a lição (lesson) is feminine.
  • Incorrect: os lições or uns lições instead of as lições or umas lições.
  • Correction Strategy: When learning a new noun, always learn its gender (o for masculine, a for feminine). This gender carries over to the plural and dictates the form of accompanying words.
  1. 1Misapplying Spanish Rules: For learners with a Spanish background, the temptation to apply Spanish pluralization rules (e.g., -ón -> -ones) to Portuguese can lead to errors. While corazón (Spanish) -> corazones aligns with coração (Portuguese) -> corações, words like pan (Spanish) -> panes does not translate to pão (Portuguese) -> pões but rather pães.
  • Correction Strategy: Be mindful of false cognates or similar-sounding words that have different grammatical behaviors in Portuguese. Portuguese has its own system, particularly for these -ão plurals.
These common mistakes highlight the importance of not just knowing the rules, but understanding why they exist and paying close attention to specific high-frequency words and stress patterns.

Common Collocations

Collocations are natural pairings of words that frequently occur together. Learning nouns ending in -ão within common collocations helps solidify their plural forms in your mind and makes your Portuguese sound more natural. Here are some prevalent examples:
  • pães de queijo: This is an iconic Brazilian snack. The plural pães (breads) is crucial here. You'll hear dois pães de queijo (two cheese breads) constantly.
  • mãos dadas: Literally

Pluralization Patterns for -ão

Singular Plural Category
lição
lições
Common (-ões)
estação
estações
Common (-ões)
pão
pães
Rare (-ães)
cão
cães
Rare (-ães)
irmão
irmãos
Common (-ãos)
mão
mãos
Common (-ãos)

Meanings

The process of changing a singular noun ending in -ão into its plural form to match the quantity of the object.

1

Standard Pluralization

Changing the ending of a noun to indicate more than one.

“O coração bate.”

“Os corações batem.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Portuguese Plurals: The 3 endings for -ÃO
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Noun + verb
Os irmãos comem.
Negative
Não + noun + verb
Os irmãos não comem.
Question
Noun + verb?
Os irmãos comem?
Short Answer
Sim, eles comem.
Sim, eles comem.
Variation 1
Plural -ões
As lições são fáceis.
Variation 2
Plural -ães
Os pães estão prontos.
Variation 3
Plural -ãos
As mãos estão sujas.

Formality Spectrum

Formal
Os irmãos estão presentes.

Os irmãos estão presentes. (Family gathering)

Neutral
Os irmãos estão aqui.

Os irmãos estão aqui. (Family gathering)

Informal
Os manos estão aí.

Os manos estão aí. (Family gathering)

Slang
Os manos chegaram.

Os manos chegaram. (Family gathering)

The -ão Plural Tree

-ão

Most Common

  • -ões lições

Rare

  • -ães pães

Common

  • -ãos irmãos
Sign up free to read full explanation

Examples by Level

1

Eu tenho uma lição.

I have a lesson.

2

Eu tenho duas lições.

I have two lessons.

3

O irmão é alto.

The brother is tall.

4

Os irmãos são altos.

The brothers are tall.

1

O pão está fresco.

The bread is fresh.

2

Comprei dois pães.

I bought two breads.

3

A estação é longe.

The station is far.

4

As estações são lindas.

The stations are beautiful.

1

O cão corre no parque.

The dog runs in the park.

2

Os cães são amigos.

The dogs are friends.

3

A opinião é importante.

The opinion is important.

4

As opiniões mudam.

The opinions change.

1

A nação está em festa.

The nation is celebrating.

2

As nações unidas.

The united nations.

3

O capitão chegou.

The captain arrived.

4

Os capitães lideram.

The captains lead.

1

O balão subiu alto.

The balloon went up high.

2

Os balões coloridos.

The colorful balloons.

3

O cidadão votou.

The citizen voted.

4

Os cidadãos protestam.

The citizens protest.

1

O vilão da história.

The villain of the story.

2

Os vilões derrotados.

The defeated villains.

3

O órgão do corpo.

The body organ.

4

Os órgãos vitais.

The vital organs.

Easily Confused

Portuguese Plurals: The 3 endings for -ÃO vs Adjectives ending in -ão

Learners confuse noun plurals with adjective agreement.

Portuguese Plurals: The 3 endings for -ÃO vs Words ending in -on

Learners think words ending in -on are -ão words.

Portuguese Plurals: The 3 endings for -ÃO vs Words ending in -am

Learners confuse -am (verb) with -ão (noun).

Common Mistakes

✗

irmões

✓

irmãos

Over-applying the -ões rule.
✗

pões

✓

pães

Incorrect vowel change.
✗

cões

✓

cães

Incorrect vowel change.
✗

liçãoes

✓

lições

Adding -es to the full word.
✗

estaçãoes

✓

estações

Incorrect suffix formation.
✗

mões

✓

mãos

Over-applying the -ões rule.
✗

cidadões

✓

cidadãos

Over-applying the -ões rule.
✗

capitões

✓

capitães

Incorrect suffix choice.
✗

órgões

✓

órgãos

Incorrect suffix choice.
✗

vilões

✓

vilões

Actually correct, but often confused with -ãos.
✗

aldeões

✓

aldeões/aldeãos

Both are acceptable, but learners often think only one is correct.
✗

vulcões

✓

vulcões

Correct, but learners often doubt it.
✗

anões

✓

anões/anãos

Both are acceptable.
✗

coroas

✓

coroas

Not an -ão word, but confused.

Sentence Patterns

Eu tenho ___ irmãos.

Os ___ estão frescos.

As ___ são difíceis.

Os ___ votaram hoje.

Real World Usage

Bakery constant

Quero três pães, por favor.

School very common

As lições estão na página dez.

Family common

Meus irmãos são muito legais.

Travel occasional

As estações de trem são grandes.

Politics occasional

Os cidadãos têm direitos.

Literature occasional

Os vilões da história são cruéis.

Sign up free to see all examples
💡

Learn the plural with the singular

Don't learn 'pão' alone. Learn 'pão / pães' as one unit.
⚠️

Don't guess

If you don't know the plural, look it up. Guessing often leads to 'irmões'.
🎯

Focus on -ões

If you are stuck, -ões is your best bet as it covers 80% of cases.
💬

Listen to locals

Pay attention to how native speakers pluralize words in your specific region.

Smart Tips

Always write the plural form next to the singular in your notes.

pão → pão (pães)

If you are unsure, use the -ões ending, as it is the most common.

Eu não sei o plural de irmão. → Eu acho que é irmãos.

Check your text for -ão plurals before sending.

Os capitões chegaram. → Os capitães chegaram.

Notice the plural patterns in books or news.

Ignorar a forma plural. → Identificar a raiz do plural.

Pronunciation

/ɐ̃w̃/

Nasalization

The -ão ending is a nasal diphthong. Ensure the sound comes through the nose.

Statement

Os irmãos estão aqui. ↘

Falling intonation for declarative sentences.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Remember 'ões' is the boss, 'ães' is the bread, and 'ãos' is the hand.

Visual Association

Imagine a giant loaf of bread (pão) turning into two loaves (pães). Then imagine a hand (mão) waving to two hands (mãos).

Rhyme

Para o -ão pluralizar, três formas deves decorar: -ões, -ães, -ãos, para não errar!

Story

João (irmão) went to the bakery to buy bread (pão). He bought many loaves (pães) for his brothers (irmãos) and finished his lessons (lições).

Word Web

liçãopãoirmãocãomãoestaçãocidadão

Challenge

Write 5 sentences using the plural of 5 different -ão words.

Cultural Notes

In Brazil, the -ões ending is very dominant and often used in colloquial speech for words that might technically be -ãos.

European Portuguese speakers are generally more conservative with these plural forms.

Angolan Portuguese follows standard Brazilian-like patterns but with local vocabulary preferences.

These plurals derive from Latin endings -ones, -anes, and -anos.

Conversation Starters

“

Quantos irmãos você tem?

“

Você gosta de pães frescos?

“

Quais são as suas lições de hoje?

“

O que você acha das estações do ano no Brasil?

Journal Prompts

Descreva a sua família.
O que você comprou na padaria?
Como são as suas aulas?
Qual é o papel do cidadão na sociedade?

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Sign up free to see all tips

Test Yourself

Complete the sentence.

Eu comprei dois ___ (pão).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: pães
The plural of pão is pães.
Select the correct plural. Multiple Choice

Qual é o plural de 'lição'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: lições
The plural of lição is lições.
Fix the mistake. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Meus irmões são altos.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: irmãos
The plural of irmão is irmãos.
Change to plural. Sentence Transformation

O cão corre. -> Os ___ correm.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: cães
The plural of cão is cães.
Match singular to plural. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 1-estações, 2-capitães
Estação -> estações, Capitão -> capitães.
Select the correct plural. Multiple Choice

Qual é o plural de 'órgão'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: órgãos
The plural of órgão is órgãos.
Complete the sentence.

Os ___ (cidadão) votaram.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: cidadãos
The plural of cidadão is cidadãos.
Fix the mistake. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Os vilões são maus.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: vilões
Vilões is correct.

Score: /8

Practice Exercises

8 exercises
Complete the sentence.

Eu comprei dois ___ (pão).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: pães
The plural of pão is pães.
Select the correct plural. Multiple Choice

Qual é o plural de 'lição'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: lições
The plural of lição is lições.
Fix the mistake. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Meus irmões são altos.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: irmãos
The plural of irmão is irmãos.
Change to plural. Sentence Transformation

O cão corre. -> Os ___ correm.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: cães
The plural of cão is cães.
Match singular to plural. Match Pairs

Match: 1. Estação, 2. Capitão

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 1-estações, 2-capitães
Estação -> estações, Capitão -> capitães.
Select the correct plural. Multiple Choice

Qual é o plural de 'órgão'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: órgãos
The plural of órgão is órgãos.
Complete the sentence.

Os ___ (cidadão) votaram.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: cidadãos
The plural of cidadão is cidadãos.
Fix the mistake. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Os vilões são maus.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: vilões
Vilões is correct.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

13 exercises
Pluralize 'lição' (lesson). Fill in the Blank

O professor explicou as ___ de hoje.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: lições
Pluralize 'mão' (hand). Fill in the Blank

Lave as suas ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: mãos
Identify the correct plural for 'alemão' (German). Multiple Choice

Select the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Os alemães são pontuais.
Find the error with 'cidadão'. Error Correction

Todos os cidadões devem votar.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Todos os cidadãos devem votar.
Match the singular to the plural. Match Pairs

Match the correct forms.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ["C\u00e3o -> C\u00e3es","Le\u00e3o -> Le\u00f5es","Irm\u00e3o -> Irm\u00e3os"]
Which group does 'tubarão' (shark) belong to? Multiple Choice

Tubarão becomes:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Tubarões
Plural of 'estação' (station). Fill in the Blank

O trem parou em três ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: estações
Unscramble the sentence. Sentence Reorder

os / latindo / cães / estão

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Os cães estão latindo.
Fix the word 'capitão' (captain). Error Correction

Os capitãos do time se cumprimentaram.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Os capitães do time se cumprimentaram.
Plural of 'sótão' (attic). Fill in the Blank

As casas antigas têm ___ grandes.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sótãos
Select the correct plural form. Multiple Choice

Reunião (meeting) -> ???

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Reuniões
Translate 'The actions'. Translation

Translate: The actions

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: As ações
Plural of 'bênção' (blessing). Fill in the Blank

Recebi muitas ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: bênçãos

Score: /13

FAQ (8)

Eles vêm de diferentes raízes latinas (-ones, -anes, -anos).

O sufixo -ões é o mais comum e produtivo.

Não, você vai soar estranho se disser 'irmões'.

A melhor forma é memorizar o plural ao aprender a palavra.

Sim, algumas palavras aceitam duas formas, como 'aldeões' e 'aldeãos'.

Não, o gênero permanece o mesmo do singular.

Sim, há pequenas variações regionais, mas as formas principais são as mesmas.

Use flashcards com o singular e o plural juntos.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

Sign up free to practice

In Other Languages

Spanish high

-ones

Spanish only has one plural form for -ón words.

French moderate

-ons

French doesn't have the -ães or -ãos variations.

German low

various

German pluralization is based on gender and declension, not suffix replacement.

Japanese none

tachi/ra

Japanese uses particles or context for plurality.

Arabic partial

broken plurals

Arabic changes the internal vowels, while Portuguese changes the suffix.

Chinese none

men

Chinese uses classifiers or context.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Ser vs Estar: Which 'To Be' is it?
Next
Connecting Thoughts: Portuguese Conjunctions (e, mas, ou)

Learn These First

A1 Builds On

Plural Nouns: The Simple 'S' Rule

Overview In Portuguese, one of the most fundamental grammatical transformations you will learn is how to change a noun...
A1 Builds On

Portuguese Plurals: Words ending in R, S, Z (-es)

Overview Mastering Portuguese pluralization is fundamental for A1 learners, and one of the most consistent patterns invo...

Related Grammar Rules

A1

Portuguese Plurals: Words ending in R, S, Z (-es)

Overview Mastering Portuguese pluralization is fundamental for A1 learners, and one of the most consistent patterns invo...
A1

Food & Drink Essentials: Ordering, Gender & 'Lanche' vs 'Almoço'

Overview Mastering food and drink terminology in Portuguese involves more than memorizing vocabulary. It necessitates a...
A2

Portuguese Diminutives: Making Things Cute (-inho/-inha)

Diminutives are one of the most distinctive features of Portuguese! Add -inho/-inha to make things small, cute, or show...
A1

Adjective Agreement: Matching Gender

Overview In Portuguese, describing the world accurately requires adherence to **adjective agreement**. Unlike English, w...
A1

Portuguese Body Parts: Heads, Hands, and Toes

Overview Learning the vocabulary for body parts in Portuguese is a fundamental step for any A1 learner, crucial for dail...
Was this helpful?

Comments (0)

Login to Comment
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!