What’s up friends, how you doin’? In a previous Dica we explained the plural of words ending in vowels and words ending in -ÃO. Now let’s learn more about the plural of words ending in L! If you don’t remember much about this letter or want to review it before diving into its plurals, we have a Dica just about the letter L.
How to Do: Plural of Words Ending in L
In our Dica today, we are going to learn the plural of the words ending in L. When one word ends in -al, -el, -ol or -ul, the plural form is astoundingly simple: we need to change the end by -is, shown on the image below:

Let’s see some structures with words ending in -al, -el, -ol or -ul:
| Animal | Animais | Animal | |
| Papel | Papeis | Paper | |
| Espanhol | Espanhóis | Spanish | |
| Azul | Azuis | Blue | |
| Casal | Casais | Couple | |
| Anel | Anéis | Ring | |
| Lençol | Lençóis | Sheets |
Examples for Plural of Words Ending in L
Now, check out some examples of phrases using these plurals:
Os animais selvagens ficam nas florestas.
Wild animals live in the forests.
Os papeis estão na gaveta da secretária.
The papers are in the secretary’s drawer.
Nossos amigos são espanhóis.
Our friends are Spanish.
Os guarda-chuvas são azuis.
The umbrellas are blue.
Os casais estão felizes.
The couples are happy.
Os anéis são de ouro.
The rings are made of gold.
Os lençóis estão na lavanderia.
The sheets are at the laundry.
Words Ending in -il
When the word ends in -il, it’s a bit different, we cannot use the same rule as above. Check out our explanation below:

When -il is the stressed syllable, we just change -il to ‘s’. Let’s check out some examples:
| Infantil | Infantis | Childish | |
| Gentil | Gentis | Gentle | |
| Funil | Funis | Funnel | |
| Barril | Barris | Barrel |
When -il isn’t the stressed syllable, we make a change. We cut the termination -il and add -eis. Check out how it goes:
| Útil | Úteis | Useful | |
| Fácil | Fáceis | Easy | |
| Difícil | Difíceis | Difficult |
Examples of Words Ending in -il
Now, let’s take a look at the plural form of some structures with words ending in -il.:
Eles são adultos, mas são muito infantis.
They are adults but they are very childish.
Os professores da Rio & Learn são muito gentis.
Rio & Learn teachers are very kind.
Os barris estão cheios de vinho.
The barrels are full of wine.
Protetores solares no Rio de Janeiro são muito úteis.
Sunblock in Rio de Janeiro is very useful.
Os exercícios de português são fáceis.
The Portuguese exercises are easy.
Now it’s your turn!
Complete the sentences by transforming the words between parentheses into the plural form. Let’s see if you know it all.
- Eu comprei 4 lápis _________ (azul)
- Estas aulas são muito _________ (difícil)
- Quantos _________ (animal) você tem?
- Sua caneta está perto dos _________ (papel) em cima da mesa.
- Diogo comprou _________ (anel) para sua mãe.
- Os _________ (lençol) da minha cama são de seda.
- Serge consegue beber 2 _________(barril) de cerveja! Meu deus!
- Anotações são muito _________ (útil) para ajudar a organização.
- Esses homens são muito _________ (infantil).
- No Rio de Janeiro, as pessoas são muito _________ (gentil).
Now you know not only everything about the letter L, but also about its plural! Keep learning Portuguese with us in our next Dica!
Big hug from Copacabana!
Click on the links below to see more related Dicas
Plural in Portuguese
Portuguese L
Plural of Words Ending in Vowels
Metaphony in Portuguese
Answer
- Eu comprei 4 lápis azuis (azul)
- Estas aulas são muito difíceis (difícil)
- Quantos animais (animal) você tem?
- Sua caneta está perto dos papéis (papel) em cima da mesa.
- Diogo comprou anéis (anel) para sua mãe.
- Os lençóis (lençol) da minha cama são de seda.
- Serge consegue beber 2 barris (barril) de cerveja! Meu deus!
- Anotações são muito úteis (útil) para ajudar a organização.
- Esses homens são muito infantis (infantil).
- No Rio de Janeiro, as pessoas são muito gentis (gentil).
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She was seven month Rio & Learn Online Courses Academic Coordinator and our A Dica do Dia blog Coordinator for two years and a half. Fluent in Portuguese, English, Spanish, and with elementary proficiency in Chinese, she is a versatile communicator and a strategic asset to global teams.