
What’s up! Tudo bem? In today’s free Portuguese lesson we are going to talk about the Portuguese plural.Β
Plural in Portuguese
The Portuguese plural can be a little tricky, but don’t worry because we are here to help you! Studying Portuguese with us will make sure you understand how to speak in the plural form. For every plural word there are different rules, so we will be looking at each one of them. But first take a look at this table:
Ending in | Change to | Add |
vowel | -s | |
-Γ£o | -Γ£os -Γ£es -Γ΅es | |
-s | -es | |
-r -z -n | -es | |
-m | -ns | |
-al -el -ol -ul | -l to -is | |
-il | -es or -eis |
Plural forΒ words ending with a vowel
Let’s start with plural words ending in a, e, i, o, u. The rule is simple: If the word ends in a vowel and it’s singular, just adding an S at the end of the word makes it plural.Β
Casa | Casas | House | Houses |
PΓ© | PΓ©s | Foot | Feet |
AΓ§aΓ | AΓ§aΓs | AΓ§aΓ | AΓ§aΓs |
Corpo | Corpos | Body | Bodies |
RΓ©u | RΓ©us | Defendant | Defendants |
Plural forΒ words ending in R
If a word ends inΒ R, justΒ add -ES at end.
Professor | Professores | Teacher | Teachers |
Ator | Atores | Actor | Actors |
Cantor | Cantores | Singer | Singers |
Sabor | Sabores | Taste / Flavor | Tastes / Flavors |
Amor | Amores | Love | Love |
Plural for words ending inΒ Z
Similarly to the rulesΒ previously mentioned, if a words ends with aΒ -Z, then we must addΒ -ES at the end.
Gravidez | Gravidezes | Pregnancy | Pregnancies |
Raiz | RaΓzes | Root | Roots |
Matriz | Matrizes | Headquarter | Headquarters |
Rapaz | Rapazes | Boy | Boys |
Nariz | Narizes | Nose | Noses |
Portuguese plural for words ending in -M
When a word ends with anΒ -M, to make it plural we must replaceΒ -M with -NS.
Homem | Homens | Man | Men |
GarΓ§om | GarΓ§ons | Waiter | Waiters |
Trem | Trens | Train | Trains |
Imagem | Imagens | Image | Images |
Garagem | Garagens | Garage | Garages |
Portuguese plural for words ending in L
There are two types of plurals for words ending with an L. If the word ends inΒ -al, -el, -il, -ol, -ulΒ and the tonic syllable is in the end then we switch -L for -is.
Animal | Animais | Animal | Animals |
Fiel | Fieis | Loyal | Loyal |
Barril | Barris | Barrel | Barrels |
Farol | FarΓ³is | Lighthouse | Lighthouses |
Azul | Azuis | Blue | Blue |
For words ending in -il that have a previous syllable with an accent mark, then there is change between -il to -eis.
RΓ©ptil | RΓ©pteis | Repitile | Repitiles |
FΓ©rtil | FΓ©rteis | Fertile | Fertile |
TΓͺxtil | TΓͺxteis | Textile | Textiles |
Plural for words ending in S
We also have two rules for words ending with the letter S. If the word has an accent in the first syllable, nothing happens, basically the word stays the same.
Γnibus | Γnibus | Bus | Buses |
LΓ‘pis | LΓ‘pis | Pencil | Pencils |
BΓ΄nus | BΓ΄nus | Bonus | Bonuses |
If the words have an accent in the ending syllable, then we add anΒ -ES.Β After becoming a plural word, the accent mark is taken away.
FrancΓͺs | Franceses | French | French |
CamponΓͺs | Camponeses | Peasant | Peasants |
NorueguΓͺs | Noruegueses | Norwegian | Norwegian |
InglΓͺs | Ingleses | English | English |
FreguΓͺs | Fregueses | Customer | Customers |
To help you a little more, here’s a tip: if the word ends in -S and is a monosyllable, to make the plural you’ll just add -ES.
MΓͺs | Meses | Month | Months |
Portuguese plural for words ending in -X
The words ending in -X also don’t vary in the plural form, they stay the same.
Latex | Latex | Latex | Latex |
XΓ©rox | XΓ©rox | XΓ©rox | XΓ©rox |
Pirex | Pirex | Pirex | Pirex |
Portuguese plural for words ending in -ΓO
In the past we are explained to you about the plural os words ending in -Γ£o. The words are made plural in various ways, depending on the rules that apply. Check all the rules in our old Dica about this.Β
PΓ£o | PΓ£es | Bread | Bread |
AlemΓ£o | AlemΓ£es | German | German |
CapitΓ£o | CapitΓ£es | Captain | Captains |
ΓrgΓ£o | ΓrgΓ£os | Organ | Organs |
IrmΓ£o | IrmΓ£os | Brother | Brothers |
CidadΓ£o | CidadΓ£os | Citizen | Citizens |
EstaΓ§Γ£o | EstaΓ§Γ΅es | Station | Stations |
LimΓ£o | LimΓ΅es | Lemon | Lemons |
RazΓ£o | RazΓ΅es | Reason | Reasons |
Portuguese plural for words ending in -zinho/a
The words that end in -zinho/a are diminutive forms of some word. To turn them into the plural form you just add -S at the end too. Don’t remember your Portuguese lesson about diminutive? Check out our Dica about this and see that the diminutives don’t express only little things.
Viagenzinha | Viagenzinhas | Little trip | Little trips |
IrmΓ£ozinho | IrmΓ£ozinhos | Little brother | Little brothers |
MΓ£ezinha | MΓ£ezinhas | Dear mother | Dear mothers |
Cidadezinha | Cidadezinhas | Little city | Little cities |
Portuguese plural for compound nouns
When we have compound nouns the plural form can vary too. The compound words that don’t have a hyphen follow the same rules as the simple nouns.
Aguardente | Aguardentes | Spirit | Spirits |
AeromoΓ§o | AeromoΓ§os | Flight AttendantΒ | Flight Attendants |
Girassol | GirassΓ³is | Sunflower | Sunflowers |
However, if the compound word has an hyphen, the rules change. If the word if formed by a noun+adjective or noun+number both of them are going into the plural form.
Quinta-feira | Quintas-feiras | Thursday | Thursdays |
Gentil-homem | Gentis-homens | Kind man | Kind men |
Palavra-chave
Palavras-chave or Palavras-chaves
Keyword
Keywords
Couve-flor
Couves-flor or Couves-flores
Cauliflower
Cauliflowers
Bomba-relΓ³gio
Bombas-relΓ³gio or Bombas-relΓ³gios
Time bomb
Time bombs
If the compound word is formed by a verb+noun, just the noun goes into the plural:
Guarda-roupa | Guarda-roupas | Wardrobe | Wardrobes |
Guarda-sol | Guarda-sΓ³is | Parasol | Parasols |
Guarda-chuva | Guarda-chuvas | Umbrella | Umbrellas |
If the compound form has a preposition with it, to form the plural you put only the first word in the plural.
Γgua-de-colΓ΄nia | Γguas-de-colΓ΄nia | Cologne | Cologne |
PΓ©-de-moleque | PΓ©s-de-moleque |
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