Brazilian Portuguese Grammar
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The use of the indefinite articles O emprego dos artigos indefinidos |
Usage
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Mentioning someone or something for the first time:
| Portuguese | English |
| Eu comprei um carro novo. | I've bought a new car. |
| Fernando de Noronha é uma ilha brasileira. | Fernando de Noronha is a Brazilian island. |
| Ontem à noite vi uns homens soltando fogos de artifício na praça. | Last night I saw some men letting off fireworks at the square. |
| Fui a umas lojas, mas ainda não encontrei o que estou procurando. | I've been to some stores, but I still haven't found what I'm looking for. |
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Making generalizations (singular article + singular noun):
| Portuguese | English |
| Um aluno não deveria se comportar desse modo. |
A student shouldn't behave
like that.
= Students shouldn't behave like that. |
| Uma mulher deveria sempre denunciar assédio sexual às autoridades. |
A woman should always report
sexual harassment to the authorities.
= Women should always report sexual harassment to the authorities. |
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Making approximations (plural article + number):
| Indefinite article | English | Example | Translation |
| uns | about | Ele tem uns cinqüenta anos de idade. | He is about fifty years old. |
| umas | Havia umas duzentas pessoas na festa. | There were about two hundred people at the party. |
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Wrong usage Don't use indefinite articles when stating someone's job:
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