English has a single -ing form doing two unrelated jobs: the verb in "the water is running" and the adjective in "running water." Portuguese splits these cleanly into two different words. The verbal job — the gerund — uses -ndo: a água está correndo (the water is running). The adjectival job uses a separate suffix, -nte: água corrente (running water). These -nte adjectives descend directly from the Latin present participle, and they have their own grammar — most notably, they are invariable for gender. This page covers the -nte adjectives and, crucially, how to keep them apart from the gerund they are so often confused with.
Where -nte adjectives come from
In Latin, the present participle of a verb (currens, currentem "running") functioned as an adjective. Portuguese inherited hundreds of these as fixed adjectives ending in -nte (usually -ante from first-conjugation verbs, -ente/-inte from the others). The modern verb kept the -ndo gerund for its verbal duties, but the old participle survives frozen as an adjective.
So a single Latin verb often left Portuguese two descendants:
- a living verb + gerund: correr → correndo (to run → running, as an action)
- a frozen -nte adjective: corrente (running, flowing — as a quality)
A água corrente da cachoeira era gelada.
The running water of the waterfall was freezing.
É uma pessoa muito interessante; conversamos por horas.
She's a very interesting person; we talked for hours.
O final do filme foi realmente emocionante.
The ending of the movie was really moving.
They are invariable for gender — but pluralize
This is the defining grammatical fact: -nte adjectives do not change for gender. The same form serves masculine and feminine. They do, however, take -s in the plural, like any adjective ending in a vowel. So they behave like the -e invariable adjectives covered in adjectives/invariable-adjectives.
| -nte adjective | Masc. sg. | Fem. sg. | Plural (both) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| interessante | interessante | interessante | interessantes | interesting |
| emocionante | emocionante | emocionante | emocionantes | moving, thrilling |
| corrente | corrente | corrente | correntes | running, current |
| sorridente | sorridente | sorridente | sorridentes | smiling |
| seguinte | seguinte | seguinte | seguintes | following, next |
| crescente | crescente | crescente | crescentes | growing, crescent |
| semelhante | semelhante | semelhante | semelhantes | similar |
| brilhante | brilhante | brilhante | brilhantes | brilliant, shiny |
Um homem sorridente e uma mulher sorridente posaram para a foto.
A smiling man and a smiling woman posed for the photo. (same form)
No dia seguinte, pegamos a estrada bem cedo.
The next day, we hit the road very early.
Os números mostram um interesse crescente pelo produto.
The figures show growing interest in the product. (formal/academic)
The critical contrast: -nte adjective vs -ndo gerund
This is the heart of the page. English speakers, used to one -ing form, routinely reach for the gerund where Portuguese wants the -nte adjective, or vice versa. The test is simple: is the word describing an ongoing action, or naming a permanent quality?
- Action in progress → gerund (-ndo), almost always after estar (or ir/vir/andar): a água está correndo = the water is currently running.
- Quality / type → adjective (-nte): água corrente = running water (as opposed to still water) — a kind of water, not an event.
Cuidado, a água está fervendo!
Careful, the water is boiling! (action right now → gerund)
Adicione o macarrão à água fervente.
Add the pasta to the boiling water. (the kind of water → adjective)
As crianças estão sorrindo para a câmera.
The kids are smiling at the camera. (happening now → gerund)
Ele tem um rosto sempre sorridente.
He has an ever-smiling face. (a permanent quality → adjective)
The grammar reinforces the distinction. The gerund never agrees with anything — correndo is correndo no matter the subject — because it is a verb form (see verbs/gerund/overview). The -nte adjective takes the plural -s because it is an adjective. So meninos correndo (boys running) but águas correntes (running waters).
A few traps within the -nte family
Some -nte words have drifted from their verbs and now carry meanings the verb wouldn't predict:
- corrente means not just "running/flowing" but also "current, present" (o mês corrente = the current month) and, as a noun, "chain" or "current" (electrical, ocean).
- seguinte ("following/next") comes from seguir but is used as a pure adjective; you would never say *seguindo to mean "next."
- constante, distante, importante, suficiente, evidente, urgente are all -nte adjectives whose source verbs are rare or absent in everyday Portuguese — treat them simply as invariable adjectives.
Reclamações constantes acabaram cansando a equipe.
Constant complaints ended up wearing out the team.
Não houve provas suficientes para condená-lo.
There wasn't enough evidence to convict him. (formal/journalistic)
Note also that some -nte words function as nouns (o cliente, o estudante, o gerente, o presidente) — agents of an action — again from the Latin participle. As nouns they often distinguish sex with the article rather than the ending: o estudante / a estudante (though a presidenta exists colloquially in Brazil for a female president).
Common Mistakes
❌ Uma história interessanta.
Incorrect — -nte adjectives don't take a feminine -a.
✅ Uma história interessante.
An interesting story.
❌ Adicione o macarrão à água fervendo.
Incorrect — you want the kind of water, so use the adjective fervente.
✅ Adicione o macarrão à água fervente.
Add the pasta to the boiling water.
❌ Ele tem um rosto sorrindo.
Incorrect — a permanent quality needs the -nte adjective, not the gerund.
✅ Ele tem um rosto sorridente.
He has a smiling face.
❌ Cenas muito emocionante.
Incorrect — the plural -s is still required: emocionantes.
✅ Cenas muito emocionantes.
Very moving scenes.
❌ No dia seguindo, viajamos.
Incorrect — 'next' is the adjective seguinte, not the gerund of seguir.
✅ No dia seguinte, viajamos.
The next day, we traveled.
Key Takeaways
- -nte adjectives descend from the Latin present participle: interessante, emocionante, corrente, sorridente, seguinte, semelhante.
- They are invariable for gender (same form for masculine and feminine) but take -s in the plural.
- Don't confuse them with the verbal gerund in -ndo: está correndo (action now, never agrees) vs. água corrente (a quality, pluralizes).
- The test: estar + -ndo = happening right now (gerund); answers "what kind?" = adjective (-nte).
- Many -nte words are also nouns (o cliente, o estudante) and some have drifted in meaning (corrente = current/chain).
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Start learning Portuguese→Related Topics
- Adjective-Forming SuffixesB1 — The productive suffixes Portuguese uses to build adjectives from nouns and verbs — and how each suffix signals capacity, fullness, relation, or judgment.
- The Gerund (Gerúndio) in BR PortugueseA2 — An overview of the Brazilian gerund — its five core uses, how to form it, and why it is one of the most audible markers of spoken BR Portuguese.
- Invariable AdjectivesA2 — A systematic group of Portuguese adjectives — colors named after objects, compound colors, and borrowings — that never change for gender or number.
- Gender AgreementA1 — How Portuguese adjectives change form to match the masculine or feminine gender of the noun they describe — and which ones don't change at all.
- Adjectives: OverviewA1 — How Brazilian Portuguese adjectives work — they agree with the noun in gender and number and usually follow it, the mirror image of English's invariable pre-nominal adjective.