Hello, friends! How are you? Sometimes grammar might seem boring, right? But it’s exactly what separates advanced speakers from fluent speakers! One of the key areas to sound more fluent in Portuguese is mastering preposition contractions. That’s why today, we’re going to dive into Portuguese contractions. Are you familiar with contractions using de? How about other examples? We’ve created various Portuguese contraction charts to help you visualize all the different cases. And we won’t just focus on preposition contractions—we’ll also explore how contractions work with pronouns, demonstrative adverbs, and even verbs. We will finish with a Podcast Episode to practice your pronunciation. Ready to become an expert? 🤓
Portuguese Prepositions Contractions
Most Portuguese contractions occur when prepositions combine with definite or indefinite articles. These prepositions include em, de, para, por, and a. Let’s take a closer look at how they are formed:
Portuguese Contractions with Em
How do we contract the preposition em? We contract em by adding n- at the beginning of the next word. The preposition em can contract with the following definite articles: o, a, os, as. It can also contract with indefinite articles: um, uma, uns, umas. Contractions follow the rules of gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural). Check out our chart and listen to the correct pronunciations for each contraction with em in Portuguese.
| Em + Definite Articles | Em + Indefinite Articles |
|---|---|
| Em + o = no | Em + um = num |
| Em + a = na | Em + uma = numa |
| Em + os = nos | Em + uns = nuns |
| Em + as = nas | Em + umas = numas |
Note that contracting em with an indefinite article is optional. You don’t have to use it, but if you do—especially when speaking—you’ll sound more like a native! To learn more about contractions with the indefinite article, check out our Dica on this topic!

Examples of Contractions with Em
Let’s see some examples:
- Paula está morando nos Estados Unidos.
Paula is living in the United States.
- Eu estou na praia agora.
I am at the beach now.
- Nós moramos num apartamento pequeno.
We live in a small apartment.
- Você já esteve numa festa a fantasia?
Have you ever been to a costume party?
If you’d like to see more examples and exercises on preposition em with definite articles, click here.
Later, we’ll also explore how we can contract the preposition em with other forms that start with vowels (and are not articles). But first, let’s focus on the most important cases, starting with the preposition de with articles!
Portuguese Contractions With De
The Portuguese preposition de only contracts with definite articles—never with indefinite articles (at least, not in grammatically correct usage). To form these contractions, we add d- to the beginning of the following word. Here’s how it works:
| De + Definite Articles |
|---|
| De + o = do |
| De + a = da |
| De + os = dos |
| De + as = das |
Examples of Contractions With De
- Vasco da Gama é um time de futebol do Rio de Janeiro.
Vasco da Gama is a football team from Rio de Janeiro. - Eu gosto da caipirinha brasileira.
I like the Brazilian caipirinha. - Los Angeles é uma cidade dos Estados Unidos.
Los Angeles is a city from the United States. - A casa das minhas amigas é muito grande.
My friends’ house is very big.
If you’d like to explore more cases, examples, and exercises, check out our Dica about the preposition de. You’ll also discover that informally, we can sometimes use de with indefinite articles!
Portuguese Contractions with Para
To contract para, we add pr- to the beginning of the following word. The preposition para can be contracted with both definite and indefinite articles:
| Para + Definite Articles | Para + Indefinite Articles |
|---|---|
| Para + o = pro | Para + um = prum |
| Para + a = pra | Para + uma = pruma |
| Para + os = pros | Para + uns = pruns |
| Para + as = pras | Para + umas = prumas |
Examples of Contractions With Para
- Nós vamos pra praia depois da aula.
We are going to the beach after class.
- Ela deu isso pro Carlos.
She gave it to Carlos.
- Eu acho que vou prum país na Ásia.
I think I will go to a country in Asia.
- Você vai pruma festa hoje?
Are you going to a party today?
For more examples and exercises, check out our Dica about para in Portuguese.

Portuguese Contractions With Por
To contract por, we use pel- before the following word. The preposition por is contracted only with definite articles, not indefinite ones. Here’s how the contractions work:
| Por + Definite Articles |
|---|
| Por + o = pelo |
| Por + a = pela |
| Por + os = pelos |
| Por + as = pelas |
Examples of Contractions With Por
- Vamos viajar pelo Brasil depois de estudar na Rio & Learn.
We will travel throughout Brazil after studying at Rio & Learn. - Sempre vejo as notícias pela internet.
I always see the news on the internet. - Vocês vão passar pelas lojas para comparar preços?
Are you going to go through the stores to compare prices? - Eles fazem tudo pelos seus amigos.
They do anything for their friends.
For exercises to practice contractions with por, check out our Dica about the preposition por.

Portuguese Contractions With A
We can also contract the preposition A only with definite articles:
| A + Definite Articles |
|---|
| A + o = ao |
| A + a = à |
| A + os = aos |
| A + as = às |
Nerd Fact: If you want to be a grammar expert, you should know that contractions like ao or aos aren’t truly contractions; they’re actually combinations. Combinations are unions of words that don’t lose a phoneme. True contractions, however, involve the loss of a phoneme and shortening of the sound.
Examples of Contractions With A
- Eu vou à feira depois almoço.
I am going to the fruit market after lunch. - Ele nunca vem às aulas pontualmente.
He never comes to classes punctually. - Nós não vamos ao cinema amanhã.
We won’t go to the movies tomorrow. - Pare de falar e vá direto aos fatos!
Stop talking and go straight to the point!
Did you notice the accent on à? When we contract a with the feminine article a, we add this accent. If you want to learn more about the à accent in Portuguese, check out our Dica on the topic!

Contractions with Ele / Ela / Eles / Elas
The prepositions em and de are the most versatile in Portuguese, as they can create contractions with a wide range of pronouns. For example, we can form possessive pronouns by contracting de with these pronouns. Check out the following Portuguese contraction chart:
| + | De |
| Ele | dele |
| Ela | dela |
| Eles | deles |
| Elas | delas |
Let’s see some examples:
Esse carro é dele.
This car is his.
O sorriso dela é lindo.
Her smile is beautiful.
Eu ouvi a opinião deles.
I heard their opinion.
Eu gostei muito das ideias delas.
I really liked their ideas.
The preposition em can also combine with third-person subject pronouns. This contraction is used to indicate location, state, or relationship concerning the third person (ele/ela/eles/elas). Here is the chart for contractions with em:
| + | Em |
| Ele | nele |
| Ela | nela |
| Eles | neles |
| Elas | nelas |
Confio nele.
I trust him.
Estou pensando nela.
I am thinking about her.
A confiança neles é essencial.
Trust in them is essential.
Pensei muito nelas durante a viagem.
I thought a lot about them during the trip.
Contractions with Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns are quite fun to work with, and when combined with prepositions, they take on a new meaning. For example, the contraction em + demonstrative pronoun indicates place, while de + demonstrative pronoun indicates possession in most cases.
To fully understand these contractions, it’s important to review how demonstrative pronouns work in Portuguese. You can check out our Dica about Demonstrative Pronouns for a deeper dive!
If you’re comfortable with demonstrative pronouns, let’s look at all the contractions we can form in the following chart:
| + | em | de | a |
| este | neste | deste | |
| esta | nesta | desta | |
| estes | nestes | destes | |
| estas | nestas | destas | |
| esse | nesse | desse | |
| essa | nessa | dessa | |
| esses | nesses | desses | |
| essas | nessas | dessas | |
| aquele | naquele | daquele | àquele |
| aquela | naquela | daquela | àquela |
| aqueles | naqueles | daqueles | àqueles |
| aquelas | naquelas | daquelas | àquelas |
| isto | nisto | disto | |
| isso | nisso | disso | |
| aquilo | naquilo | daquilo | àquilo |
Examples of Contractions: Preposition EM with Demonstrative Pronouns
Nesta (em + esta)
- Nesta sala, há uma energia incrível.
There is an amazing energy in this room.
Nesse (em + esse)
- Eu não acredito mais nesse projeto.
I no longer believe in that project.
Naquela (em + aquela)
- Naquela época, tudo era mais simples.
In that time, everything was simpler.
Examples of Contractions: Preposition DE with Demonstrative Pronouns
Dessas (de + essas)
- Já ouvi falar dessas histórias.
I’ve already heard of those stories.
Daquele (de + aquele)
- A cor daquele carro é incrível.
The color of that car is amazing.
Daquilo (de + aquilo)
- Não quero falar daquilo que aconteceu no passado.
I don’t want to talk about that which happened in the past.
Examples of Contractions: Preposition A with Demonstrative Pronouns
Àquela (a + aquela)
- Ela foi àquela festa no sábado.
She went to that party on Saturday.
Àqueles (a + aqueles)
- Não vou àqueles lugares que você mencionou.
I’m not going to those places you mentioned.
Contractions with Adverbs
These contractions or compound words are formed by combining prepositions with adverbs, which are used to indicate direction, origin, or location. Let’s explore these in more detail:
1. Daqui
- Formation: De (preposition) + aqui (adverb of place).
- Meaning: “From here” (refers to origin or movement starting from a point near the speaker).
- Function: Indicates origin or departure from a location close to the speaker.
Examples:
- Eu vou sair daqui agora.
I’m leaving from here now. - Você pode ver a praia daqui.
You can see the beach from here.
2. Daí
- Formation: De (preposition) + aí (adverb of place).
- Meaning: “From there” (refers to origin or movement starting from a point near the listener).
- Function: Indicates origin or departure from a location close to the listener.
Examples:
- Eu recebi a encomenda daí.
I received the package from there. - Você veio daí até aqui de carro?
Did you come from there to here by car?
3. Dali
- Formation: De (preposition) + ali (adverb of place).
- Meaning: “From there” (refers to origin or movement starting from a point distant from both the speaker and the listener).
- Function: Indicates origin or departure from a location distant from both parties.
Examples:
- O ônibus partiu dali há pouco.
The bus left from there a little while ago. - Eu conheço bem aquela área dali.
I know that area over there very well.
4. Donde
- Formation: De (preposition) + onde (adverb of place).
- Meaning: “From where” (used in questions or relative clauses to indicate origin).
- Function: Indicates origin in a question or reference.
Examples:
- Donde você veio?
From where did you come?
Obs: This contraction isn’t used very often so you may see De onde being used instead.
5. Aonde
- Formation: A (preposition) + onde (adverb of place).
- Meaning: “To where” (used to express movement toward a location).
- Function: Indicates direction or destination when movement is involved.
Examples:
- Aonde você vai?
Where are you going to? - Não sei aonde ele pretende chegar.
I don’t know where he intends to go.
Summary Table:
Here is a summary of contractions with adverbs in Portuguese. Check out the chart to understand all the cases:
| Term | Formation | Meaning | Use Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daqui | De + Aqui | From here | Eu vou sair daqui agora. |
| Daí | De + Aí | From there (near listener) | Eu recebi a encomenda daí. |
| Dali | De + Ali | From there (far from both) | O ônibus partiu dali há pouco. |
| Donde | De + Onde | From where | Donde você veio? |
| Aonde | A + Onde | To where | Aonde você vai? |
Let us know if you’d like more examples or need further clarification! 😊
Informal Contractions in Portuguese
In addition to standard grammatical contractions, there are informal contractions commonly used in spoken Portuguese, especially in Brazil. These informal contractions simplify speech by combining prepositions, pronouns, and articles, making phrases flow more naturally. Here’s a list of some widely used informal contractions:
De + Indefinite Article
- Informal forms of “de um,” “de uma,” “de uns,” “de umas”.
- Meaning: “of a,” “of some.”
- Examples:
- Estou falando dum assunto importante.
(I’m talking about an important subject.)
- Ela é duma cidade pequena.
(She’s from a small town.)
- Isso vem duns lugares estranhos.
(This comes from some strange places.)
- Estou falando dum assunto importante.

Né in Portuguese
The contraction né is a shortened, casual way of saying “não é” (isn’t it?) in colloquial Brazilian Portuguese. It’s commonly used in informal conversations to seek agreement or confirmation in a relaxed, friendly way. It helps make conversations feel more natural and fluid. In English, it’s similar to saying “right?” or “isn’t it?“
You can use né at the end of a sentence in the following contexts:
- Seeking agreement:
- Tá calor hoje, né?
(It’s hot today, isn’t it?)
- Tá calor hoje, né?
- Showing surprise or emphasizing a point:
- Essa música é incrível, né?
(This song is amazing, right?)
- Essa música é incrível, né?
- Encouraging someone to reflect or agree:
- Você gosta de brigadeiro, né?
(You like brigadeiro, huh?)
- Você gosta de brigadeiro, né?
It’s also used to soften negative statements, so they don’t sound too harsh:
- Esse carro não é muito bom, né?
This car isn’t very good, is it? - Você não come muito, né?
You don’t eat much, do you? - O Diogo não falou nada para ela, né?
Diogo didn’t tell her anything, did he?
FAQ about Portuguese contractions
What’s the difference between a contraction and a combination in Portuguese?
A contraction happens when two words merge and one of them loses a phoneme, like in de + o = do. A combination, like a + o = ao, joins the words without losing any sound — so technically it isn’t a true contraction, even though it’s called that in everyday use.
Do I have to use “num” and “numa” instead of “em um” and “em uma”?
No. The contraction of em with indefinite articles (num, numa, nuns, numas) is optional. Using it is common in speech and makes your Portuguese sound more natural, but “em um” and “em uma” are also correct.
Why is “pra” so common, but “para” also shows up in texts?
Pra is the informal contraction of para with the article a (para + a = pra), widely used in everyday speech. In formal writing, though, it’s recommended to use para in full.
Which prepositions form contractions with indefinite articles?
Only em and para contract with indefinite articles (num, numa, prum, pruma, etc.). The prepositions de, por, and a only contract with definite articles.
Practice Portuguese Contractions with Our Podcast Episode
Ready to take your contractions from “hmm… I think I get it” to “opa, now I sound Brazilian!”? Then plug in your headphones and jump into our Rio & Learn podcast episode made especially for this topic. We chat about the contractions you’ll hear all the time in real conversations, give you fun examples you can steal for your own Portuguese, and help you feel more confident using them like a true Carioca. Follow our podcast here!
Craving a little extra challenge? If you want to listen to the full episode only in Portuguese, you can find the audio inside the Portuguese version of this Dica. And don’t forget — we also have a Portuguese-only podcast feed, perfect for when you want full immersion. So get comfy, relax, and let your Portuguese flow with us wherever you are! 💛🇧🇷
Exercises for Portuguese Preposition Contractions
Alright, everyone! Now that you have a variety of Portuguese contraction charts to study, it’s time to put your knowledge to the test. We’ve covered some essential Portuguese preposition contractions. You can find more lessons by subscribing to A Dica do Dia for daily tips. Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for additional updates and school information.
Bye, bye!
Hugs from Rio de Janeiro!
Click on the links below to see more related Dicas
Definite Articles in Portuguese
Indefinite Articles in Portuguese
Portuguese Prepositions
Portuguese Por vs Pra
Online Academic Coordinator at Rio & Learn Portuguese School.
Experienced educational coordinator and teacher since 2007, adept in curriculum development, creating physical and digital educational materials, and leveraging online platforms to enhance learning outcomes
2 Responses
Disculpen…Recién hoy accedí a esta página y encontré serios errores en el uso del español e incluso en el uso del portugués. Lo primero que encontré fueron errores en el uso de las preposiciones y las contracciones en portugués.
Siempre busco páginas para actualizar mi nivel en esa lengua y así fue que llegué hasta este sitio que me parece MUY BUENO…Sin embargo, es necesario verificar la corrección en el uso o la corrección del lenguaje.
Atentamente.
Zuni Fariña
¡Hola, Zuni! Hemos revisado el contenido de la página y realizado las correcciones pertinentes sobre el post. Te pedimos disculpas por los errores y agradecemos enormemente tu contribución :).