Brazilian Portuguese Grammar
9. Nouns ending in -or are almost always masculine:
(Those which denote occupations are always masculine)
| o sabor | the taste |
| o calor | the heat |
| o amor | love |
| o valor | the value |
| o computador | the computer |
| o cantor | the singer |
| o ator | the actor |
| o escritor | the writer |
Exceptions: a cor (the color), a dor (the pain), etc.
10. Nouns in -er are masculine:
| o prazer | pleasure |
| o laser | laser |
| o lazer | leisure |
Exceptions: a mulher (the woman), a colher (the spoon), etc.
11. Most nouns ending in -e are masculine:
| o elefante | the elefant |
| o dente | the tooth |
| o pente | the comb |
| o café | the coffee |
| o pé | the foot |
Notes:
-
Those ending in -é (e with an accute accent) are almost always masculine
-
Those of French origin in -é or - ê are always masculine, such as o balé (the ballet), o chalé (the chalet) , o patê (the pâté).
The nouns below are feminine:
| a noite | the night |
| a fé | the faith |
| a alface | the lettuce |
| a morte | death |
| a idade | age |
| a ralé | the riff-raff |
| a foice | the scythe |
12. Abstract nouns ending in -dade, -ez, -eza, -ia, -ação are feminine:
| a beleza | beauty |
| a felicidade | happiness |
| a alegria | gladness |
| a criação | creation |
| a dedicação | dedication |
| a tristeza | sadness |
| a vez | the turn (as in it's my turn) |
| a nitidez | sharpness (as in a photo) |
13. Nouns ending in -em are feminine; those ending in -ém (e with an accute accent) are masculine:
| a vantagem | the advantage |
| a imagem | the image |
| a paisagem | the landscape |
| a sabotagem | the sabotage |
| a coragem | courage |
| a viagem | the trip |
| a milhagem | the mileage |
| o armazém | the warehouse |
| o vintém | the penny (coin) |
|
* o refém
* a refém |
the male hostage
the female hostage |
14. Most nouns ending in -l are masculine:
| o canil | the kennel |
| o Brasil | Brazil |
| o funil | the funnel |
| o til | the tilde |
| o quintal | the yard |
| o varal | the clothesline |
| o vendaval | the gale |
| o anzol | the fishhook |
| o pincel | the paintbrush |
| o sinal | the sign |
| o anel | the ring |
| o Natal | Christmas |
Exceptions: a cal ( the whitewash), a bacanal (the bacchanal), etc.
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