Meaning
Coming before all others in time or order.
Cultural Background
In Brazil, 'primeiro' is often used in the phrase 'Primeiro de Abril' (April Fools' Day), known as 'Dia da Mentira'. In Portugal, 'primeiro' is used for the floor above the ground floor. If you want the street level, ask for the 'rés-do-chão'. Similar to Portugal, the numbering of floors and the formal use of 'primeiro' in administrative contexts follows European standards.
Gender Check
Always look at the noun. If it ends in 'a', use 'primeira'. If it ends in 'o', use 'primeiro'.
Floor Numbering
In Portugal, remember that 'Primeiro Andar' is not the ground floor!
Meaning
Coming before all others in time or order.
Gender Check
Always look at the noun. If it ends in 'a', use 'primeira'. If it ends in 'o', use 'primeiro'.
Floor Numbering
In Portugal, remember that 'Primeiro Andar' is not the ground floor!
Test Yourself
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'primeiro'.
Esta é a _______ vez que eu viajo.
'Vez' is a feminine noun, so we use 'primeira'.
Which sentence is correct?
How do you say 'The first book'?
Ordinal numbers come before the noun and 'livro' is masculine.
Match the Portuguese to the English.
Match the terms:
Matches gender and number correctly.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Quem ganhou a corrida? B: O João chegou em _______.
João is masculine, and we are talking about race position.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Gender Agreement with Primeiro
Masculine
- • O primeiro dia
- • O primeiro passo
- • O primeiro lugar
Feminine
- • A primeira vez
- • A primeira rua
- • A primeira aula
Practice Bank
4 exercisesEsta é a _______ vez que eu viajo.
'Vez' is a feminine noun, so we use 'primeira'.
How do you say 'The first book'?
Ordinal numbers come before the noun and 'livro' is masculine.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Matches gender and number correctly.
A: Quem ganhou a corrida? B: O João chegou em _______.
João is masculine, and we are talking about race position.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
3 questionsYes, in 99% of cases, ordinal numbers like 'primeiro' precede the noun in Portuguese.
Yes, it is very common in spoken Portuguese to start a sentence with 'Primeiro...' to mean 'First of all...'.
The plural is 'primeiros' (masculine) or 'primeiras' (feminine).
Related Phrases
Em primeiro lugar
synonymIn the first place
Primeiramente
synonymFirstly
De primeira
specialized formOn the first try / Top quality
