A1Lesson 1: Gender, Number & Articles
Definite articles are tiny words that mean "the" and must match the gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) of the noun they accompany.
masculine singular: o | feminine singular: a | masculine plural: os | feminine plural: as
O = the (masculine singular): o livro
A = the (feminine singular): a mesa
Os = the (masculine plural): os livros
As = the (feminine plural): as mesas
The article must match the noun's gender and number — always.
Used way more than English "the" — even before names: o João, a Maria.
Body parts: a mão, os olhos (where English says "my hand", "her eyes").
Languages: o português, o inglês — but drop the article after em and falar.
Imagine introducing your friend Maria at a Brazilian party. Do you say "Maria" or "a Maria"? In Brazil, just saying "Maria" sounds weirdly formal or distant – like you're reading from a police report! The little words o, a, os, as are the secret sauce that makes your Portuguese sound natural and warm. They're in literally every sentence – you can't escape them.
Master these four tiny words, and you'll instantly sound 50% more Brazilian. Plus, getting the gender wrong (saying "o casa" instead of "a casa") is like wearing your shirt inside out – everyone notices!
Sign up to save your progress, practice exercises and unlock all grammar content.
Portuguese has four definite articles that all mean "the," but each has a specific job based on gender and number:
| Article | Type | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| o | masculine singular | o livro | the book |
| a | feminine singular | a mesa | the table |
| os | masculine plural | os livros | the books |
| as | feminine plural | as mesas | the tables |
Articles must match their noun in both gender AND number. No exceptions.
O João (João)
A Maria (Maria)
Os meninos (the boys)
As meninas (the girls)
O senhor Silva (Mr. Silva)
A senhora Costa (Mrs. Costa)
O livro (the book)
A mesa (the table)
Os carros (the cars)
Not every name takes an article:
Foreign full names usually drop it: Tom Cruise (not "o Tom Cruise").
But your friend Tom does get one: O Tom da minha escola (the Tom from my school).
Most cities skip the article: São Paulo é grande (not "a São Paulo").
Rio is the famous exception: O Rio é lindo.
Some countries demand an article, others refuse it:
Always: o Brasil, os Estados Unidos, a França, o Japão.
Never: Portugal, Cuba, Israel.
Either way is fine: Japão, China.
The modern o, a, os, as descend from Latin demonstratives ille / illa / illos / illas — the same source that gave Spanish el / la / los / las and French le / la / les. Old Portuguese still wrote lo and la; the initial l- was gradually dropped over the centuries when the article followed a vowel-final word, leaving the bare o and a we use today. So the tiny one-letter article is actually the worn-down end of a much older word.
Source: Portuguese grammar — Wikipedia.
Putting a definite article before a person's name is a regional habit. The Southeast (São Paulo, Rio) and South tend to say o João, a Maria; the Northeast more often drops the article and just says João, Maria. Both are correct standard Brazilian Portuguese — the choice quietly signals where you (or your speech model) come from.
Get full access to grammar lessons, exercises, vocabulary and personalized review with a free Falando account.