In this lesson you'll learn:
- Words for family members
- How to say my, your, his and her
- Adjectives to describe people, and how they change for men and women
The family
| Portuguese | Sounds like | English |
|---|---|---|
| a família | ah fah-MEE-lee-ah | the family |
| o pai / a mãe | oo pie / ah my (nasal) | father / mother |
| os pais | oos pice | parents |
| o filho / a filha | oo FEE-lyoo / ah FEE-lyah | son / daughter |
| os filhos | oos FEE-lyoos | children (sons and daughters) |
| o irmão / a irmã | oo eer-MOWNG / ah eer-MAHNG | brother / sister |
| o avô / a avó | oo ah-VOH / ah ah-VAW | grandfather / grandmother |
| o tio / a tia | oo TCHEE-oo / ah TCHEE-ah | uncle / aunt |
| o primo / a prima | oo PREE-moo / ah PREE-mah | cousin (male / female) |
| o marido / a esposa | oo mah-REE-doo / ah ees-POH-zah | husband / wife |
| o namorado / a namorada | oo nah-moh-RAH-doo / ah nah-moh-RAH-dah | boyfriend / girlfriend |
Avô or avó? Listen closely: avô (grandfather) ends in a closed "oh" sound, and avó (grandmother) ends in an open "aw" sound. Both together are os avós, the grandparents. In the same way, os pais usually means "the parents", and os filhos means "the children".
My, your, his and her
The word for "my" or "your" matches the thing or person you're talking about, not the owner:
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| meu pai / minha mãe | my father / my mother |
| meus pais / minhas irmãs | my parents / my sisters |
| seu irmão / sua irmã | your brother / your sister |
| o carro dele | his car |
| a casa dela | her house |
In Brazil, seu and sua usually mean "your". For "his" and "her", people put dele and dela after the noun: o carro dele (his car), a casa dela (her house). You'll also often hear an extra a or o: a minha mãe means the same as minha mãe.
Describing people
| Portuguese | Sounds like | English |
|---|---|---|
| alto / alta | OW-too / OW-tah | tall |
| baixo / baixa | BUY-shoo / BUY-shah | short |
| jovem | ZHAW-vayng | young |
| bonito / bonita | boh-NEE-too / boh-NEE-tah | good-looking, pretty |
| simpático / simpática | seeng-PAH-tchee-koo / seeng-PAH-tchee-kah | nice, friendly |
| engraçado / engraçada | en-grah-SAH-doo / en-grah-SAH-dah | funny |
| inteligente | een-teh-lee-ZHEN-tchee | smart |
| legal | leh-GOW | cool, nice |
| feliz | feh-LEES | happy |
To describe what someone looks like, use ter (to have): Ela tem cabelo castanho e olhos verdes. She has brown hair and green eyes.
Adjectives match the person. Most adjectives end in -o for a man and -a for a woman, and add -s for more than one: o menino alto, a menina alta, os meninos altos, as meninas altas. Adjectives ending in -e or a consonant stay the same for both: um homem inteligente, uma mulher inteligente.
Reading: Minha família
Read Júlia's short text out loud, then check the translation.
Oi! Meu nome é Júlia e eu moro em Belo Horizonte com a minha família. Meu pai se chama Carlos. Ele é alto e muito engraçado. Minha mãe se chama Fernanda. Ela é professora e é muito simpática. Eu tenho um irmão, o Pedro. Ele tem dezoito anos e é muito inteligente. Nós temos um cachorro, o Bolinha!
Show the translation
Hi! My name is Júlia and I live in Belo Horizonte with my family. My dad's name is Carlos. He's tall and really funny. My mom's name is Fernanda. She's a teacher and she's really nice. I have a brother, Pedro. He's eighteen and very smart. We have a dog, Bolinha!
Practice
Translate into Portuguese.
- my sister
- your brothers
- She is tall and friendly.
- I have two cousins. (male)
- his mother
Show answers
- minha irmã
- seus irmãos
- Ela é alta e simpática.
- Eu tenho dois primos.
- a mãe dele
Parabéns! (Congratulations!) You've finished the beginner course. Keep practicing with the Phrasebook, go back to any lesson that felt hard, and use a few words every day, even if it's just bom dia to yourself in the mirror.