Portuguese Year 4: From masculine to feminine: nouns and adjectives
Portuguese, Year 4 (Portugal): Five ways to form the feminine: change -o to -a, add -a, change the ending, use another word, or keep it the same.
Five ways to make the feminine
The feminine of nouns and adjectives is formed in several ways. 1) Change -o to -a: menino → menina, alto → alta. 2) Add -a: professor → professora, português → portuguesa. 3) Change the ending: leão → leoa, rei → rainha, ator → atriz. 4) Use another word: pai → mãe, homem → mulher. 5) Stay the same: o colega → a colega; feliz → feliz (um menino feliz, uma menina feliz).
The adjective must agree
The adjective agrees with the noun: «o menino simpático» (the kind boy), «a menina simpática» (the kind girl). If you change the gender of the noun, you must change the adjective too. Knowing the ways of forming the feminine also helps with new words: if you know that professor becomes professora, you can guess that a woman who is a «cantor» is a «cantora».
Name the process in each pair
Name the process in each pair. Step 1: menino → menina: change -o to -a. Step 2: professor → professora: add -a. Step 3: leão → leoa: the ending changes. Step 4: pai → mãe: another word. Step 5: o colega → a colega: it stays the same. Then make the adjective agree: «o professor simpático» (the kind teacher) → «a professora simpática».
It is not always «just add an -a»
It is not always enough to add an -a. We do not say «a atora», «a reia» or «a homema»: the feminine of ator is atriz, of rei is rainha, of homem is mulher. When in doubt, think of a similar word or check the dictionary. And beware: some nouns have the same form for both genders («o/a colega», «o/a estudante»): only the article changes.
Animals, jobs and forms
You use this whenever you talk about people and animals: o gato and a gata, o leão and a leoa, o professor and a professora. In jobs (cantora, atriz, jogadora), on forms («aluno/aluna») and in tales («o rei e a rainha»). Getting the gender right makes what you write clear and correct.
Test what you learned
In which pair is the feminine formed by changing -o into -a?
- a) pai → mãe
- b) leão → leoa
- c) colega → colega
- d) menino → menina
Correct answer: d) menino → menina — Yes: the -o of menino becomes the -a of menina.
Which is the feminine of «o ator simpático» (the kind actor)?
- a) a atriz simpática
- b) a atora simpática
- c) a atriz simpático
- d) o atriz simpática
Correct answer: a) a atriz simpática — Yes: ator → atriz (the ending changes) and simpático → simpática (the -o becomes -a).
Which is the feminine of «homem» (man)?
- a) homema
- b) homa
- c) mulher
Correct answer: c) mulher — Yes: homem → mulher. The feminine is another word.
Keep exploring
Other languages
Loading MyLeoNes™…