Turn this distinction into automatic recall
Falando teaches Brazilian Portuguese through grammar, vocabulary, audio, examples, and spaced review, so confusing pairs stop feeling like guesses.
Quick answer
Elegivel is about qualification. Ilegivel is about readability.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
What each word does
elegivel
eligible
Use elegivel for qualified or allowed to be chosen.
ilegivel
illegible
Use ilegivel for impossible or hard to read.
How to choose
- elegivel: Choose elegivel if the sentence points to qualified or allowed to be chosen.
- ilegivel: Choose ilegivel if the sentence points to impossible or hard to read.
Examples
Ela e elegivel para a bolsa.
She is eligible for the scholarship.
A assinatura esta ilegivel.
The signature is illegible.
Common trap
They look similar in writing, but one belongs to rules and selection; the other belongs to reading.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with elegivel, then once with ilegivel. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
Turn this distinction into automatic recall
Falando teaches Brazilian Portuguese through grammar, vocabulary, audio, examples, and spaced review, so confusing pairs stop feeling like guesses.