The indefinite article in Portuguese — um, uma, uns, umas — looks like a straightforward translation of English a, an, some. The shapes line up, the meanings overlap, and for a while everything feels easy. Then you start noticing that a Portuguese speaker says sou professor where you want to say I am a teacher, or não tenho tempo where you want I don't have the time, or uns vinte minutos for "about twenty minutes." This page lays out what the four forms actually do, the contexts where English inserts a/an but Portuguese drops the article, and the approximative plural use that catches English learners off guard.
The four forms
| Masculine | Feminine | |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | um | uma |
| Plural | uns | umas |
Singular um / uma = "a, an." Plural uns / umas = "some" or, in certain contexts, "about." The plural forms have no direct English equivalent in many cases — English uses either "some" or nothing at all.
1. Introducing new referents
The core use is the same as English a/an: mentioning something for the first time, without presuming the listener knows which one.
Comprei um livro novo ontem na feira do livro.
I bought a new book yesterday at the book fair.
Há uma cafetaria ótima perto do metro.
There's a great café near the metro.
Está um rapaz à tua espera lá em baixo.
There's a boy waiting for you downstairs.
Once the noun is introduced, subsequent mentions switch to the definite article (o livro, a cafetaria, o rapaz) — exactly as in English.
2. Uns / umas for approximation
This is the plural use that trips up English speakers most. Uns and umas before a number mean "about" or "roughly" — an idiomatic way to express approximate quantities.
Fica a uns vinte minutos a pé daqui.
It's about twenty minutes on foot from here.
Custou-me uns trinta euros, se bem me lembro.
It cost me about thirty euros, if I remember correctly.
Havia umas cinquenta pessoas na sala.
There were about fifty people in the room.
Temos umas duas horas antes do voo.
We have about two hours before the flight.
The gender agrees with whatever you are counting: uns vinte livros (books, masculine), umas vinte mesas (tables, feminine). This construction is pervasive in everyday speech — you will hear it constantly in markets, restaurants, and directions.
3. Uns / umas as vague plural — "some"
Beyond approximation, uns / umas can also mean "some," introducing an unspecified group.
Uns amigos meus vêm cá jantar esta noite.
Some friends of mine are coming over for dinner tonight.
Há umas nuvens escuras no horizonte; vai chover.
There are some dark clouds on the horizon; it's going to rain.
Comprei umas coisas no supermercado para o almoço.
I bought some things at the supermarket for lunch.
Portuguese can also leave the plural bare (vêm amigos jantar), with a slightly different nuance — closer to "friends are coming to dinner" (generic) than "some friends" (a specific but unnamed group). The uns / umas form evokes a little more definiteness and closeness: these particular friends, I know who they are, you just haven't met them.
Omission contexts — where English uses a, Portuguese uses nothing
This is the part English learners have to unlearn. In several very common contexts, Portuguese drops the indefinite article where English requires one.
4. Professions, roles, status
With ser plus a bare noun of profession, role, religion, political affiliation, or marital status, Portuguese uses no article.
A minha mãe é professora primária há vinte anos.
My mother has been a primary school teacher for twenty years.
O Pedro é estudante de medicina no terceiro ano.
Pedro is a third-year medical student.
Ela é vegetariana desde os quinze anos.
She's been a vegetarian since she was fifteen.
The logic: the noun is functioning almost like an adjective — it describes what he is, not which one he is. English treats doctor as a countable noun and demands a; Portuguese treats it as a classifying label.
The article does come back when the noun is modified by an adjective or relative clause, because then you are singling out a particular kind:
Ele é um bom médico, o melhor do hospital.
He's a good doctor, the best at the hospital.
A minha mãe é uma professora muito dedicada.
My mother is a very dedicated teacher.
The rule of thumb: unmodified profession → no article; modified profession → article.
5. Nationalities and religions
Same logic as professions. Unmodified, no article.
Sou português, mas a minha avó era francesa.
I'm Portuguese, but my grandmother was French.
Ele é católico praticante, vai à missa todos os domingos.
He's a practising Catholic; he goes to Mass every Sunday.
O Ricardo é brasileiro, nasceu em São Paulo.
Ricardo is a Brazilian; he was born in São Paulo.
Modified: sou um português orgulhoso da minha terra — "I'm a Portuguese proud of my country." The article marks "a particular kind of Portuguese."
6. After ter — possession of generic categories
One of the most common omissions in Portuguese happens after ter (to have), when what you have is treated as a generic category rather than a specific item.
Tens carro ou vens de comboio?
Do you have a car, or are you coming by train?
Eles têm casa própria em Cascais.
They have their own house in Cascais.
Já tens namorado?
Do you have a boyfriend yet?
Tenho três irmãos e uma irmã.
I have three brothers and one sister.
Notice the bare nouns: tens carro, not tens um carro. The question is about the category (do you own a car at all?), not about a specific vehicle. If you want to stress the specific, the article comes back: tens um carro novo? (do you have a new car?).
With kinship and body parts after ter, the article also typically stays out: ele tem olhos azuis (he has blue eyes), temos três filhos (we have three children) — unless you modify: tem uns olhos azuis lindíssimos (he has beautiful blue eyes).
7. After negation
Negation frequently removes the article, producing the bare noun:
Não tenho tempo para isso hoje.
I don't have time for that today.
Não há leite no frigorífico.
There's no milk in the fridge.
Ela não tem paciência para crianças.
She has no patience for children.
Não trouxe guarda-chuva e apanhei uma trovoada.
I didn't bring an umbrella and got caught in a thunderstorm.
This is not an absolute rule — não tenho um carro alemão, tenho um italiano keeps um because it is contrasting specific types — but as a default, negation strips the indefinite article.
8. Fixed expressions
Many idiomatic phrases drop the article entirely. These are best memorised as whole units.
| Phrase | Gloss |
|---|---|
| com certeza | certainly / of course |
| sem dúvida | without a doubt |
| em casa | at home |
| em cima | on top |
| a pé | on foot |
| de carro / de comboio / de autocarro | by car / by train / by bus |
| com muito gosto | with pleasure |
| dar parabéns | to wish happy birthday / congratulate |
| ter razão | to be right |
| fazer sentido | to make sense |
Com certeza, podes contar comigo.
Of course, you can count on me.
Vamos a pé, é só a cinco minutos.
We'll go on foot, it's only five minutes.
Isso não faz sentido nenhum.
That makes no sense at all.
Definite vs indefinite — side-by-side
| English | Definite (specific) | Indefinite (any) | No article |
|---|---|---|---|
| I have the car | Tenho o carro. | — | — |
| I have a car | — | Tenho um carro. (one specific) | Tenho carro. (general) |
| He is the teacher | Ele é o professor. | — | — |
| He is a teacher | — | Ele é um bom professor. (modified) | Ele é professor. (plain) |
| I don't have time | — | — | Não tenho tempo. |
Common mistakes
❌ Ele é um médico.
Over-explicit — unmodified profession takes no article.
✅ Ele é médico. / Ele é um bom médico.
He's a doctor. / He's a good doctor.
❌ Tens um tempo?
Incorrect — *tempo* here is abstract, no article.
✅ Tens tempo? / Tens um minuto?
Do you have time? / Have you got a minute?
❌ Sou um português.
Unmodified nationality takes no article.
✅ Sou português. / Sou um português orgulhoso.
I'm Portuguese. / I'm a proud Portuguese.
❌ Há cerca de vinte pessoas na fila. (in conversation)
Too formal for casual speech — natives use *uns*.
✅ Há umas vinte pessoas na fila.
There are about twenty people in the queue.
❌ Vamos com o carro.
Incorrect for mode of transport — use *de carro*.
✅ Vamos de carro.
We're going by car.
Key takeaways
- Um / uma = "a/an," introducing new referents. Uns / umas = "some" or "about / roughly" before numbers.
- Drop the article with unmodified professions, nationalities, religions: ele é médico, sou português, ela é católica.
- The article returns the moment you modify: ele é um bom médico.
- After ter, drop the article for generic possessions: tens carro?, tenho casa.
- Negation often strips the article: não tenho tempo.
- Memorise fixed expressions without articles: com certeza, sem dúvida, em casa, a pé, de carro.
- The plural uns / umas
- number is the idiomatic way to express approximation: uns vinte minutos.
Related Topics
- Articles OverviewA1 — An introduction to the Portuguese article system — definite (o, a, os, as) and indefinite (um, uma, uns, umas), their agreement with nouns, and the many places Portuguese uses articles where English doesn't.
- Basic Uses of the Definite ArticleA1 — When to use the definite article in Portuguese
- Article Contractions with PrepositionsA1 — Do, da, no, na, ao, à, pelo, pela — all contractions
- Advanced Article UsesB2 — Abstract nouns, generic reference, and stylistic choices
- The Indefinite Article: Forms and UsesA1 — The four forms of the Portuguese indefinite article (um, uma, uns, umas), their uses for introducing new referents, and where Portuguese drops the article that English keeps.
- Contexts Where Portuguese Drops the ArticleB1 — A systematic inventory of contexts in which European Portuguese drops the article you might expect — professions after ser, certain country and city names, fixed prepositional phrases, enumerations, vocatives, headlines, and more.