Aluga-se apartamento mobiliado perto do centro.

Literally, aluga-se is rents itself or is rented, but in real usage it means for rent / apartment for rent.

This is a very common pattern in Portuguese ads and signs:

• Vende-se casa. = House for sale
• Aluga-se quarto. = Room for rent

So in this sentence, aluga-se apartamento mobiliado is the natural way to say that a furnished apartment is available to rent.

The se here is used in an impersonal/passive-style construction that is very common in Portuguese.

In ad language, aluga-se apartamento means something like:

• an apartment is rented
• apartment for rent

It does not mean he/she rents himself/herself.

For learners, the easiest way to understand it is:

• aluga-se + thing = the thing is for rent

It is similar in meaning, but the structure is different.

Portuguese often uses verb + se where English would prefer a passive or a short label:

• Aluga-se apartamento.
  • natural English: Apartment for rent
  • more literal English: An apartment is rented

So yes, it has a passive-like meaning, but Portuguese uses this compact se structure very naturally in classifieds, signs, and ads.

Because in Portuguese, especially in advertisements, it is very common to put the verb first in this kind of expression:

• Aluga-se apartamento
• Vende-se carro
• Procura-se secretária

This verb-first order sounds normal and idiomatic in notices and ads.

You might also see other word orders in different contexts, but for classified-style language, aluga-se apartamento is the standard, natural pattern.

Portuguese often omits articles in ad language, headlines, and signs.

So:

• Aluga-se apartamento mobiliado sounds like a classified ad
• Aluga-se um apartamento mobiliado is also grammatically possible, but it sounds less like a sign and more like a full sentence in ordinary speech

In short:

• no article = common in ads/notices
• um = possible, but less typical for this kind of short listing style

The adjective is mobiliado, which means furnished.

It comes from mobília or mobiliar:

• mobília = furniture/furnishings
• mobiliar = to furnish
• mobiliado = furnished

So:

• apartamento mobiliado = furnished apartment

This is the standard word you will see in Brazilian real-estate ads.

Because it agrees with apartamento, which is a masculine singular noun.

Agreement in Portuguese is important:

• apartamento mobiliado = masculine singular
• casa mobiliada = feminine singular
• apartamentos mobiliados = masculine plural
• casas mobiliadas = feminine plural

So mobiliado matches apartamento.

It means near downtown or near the city center.

Breaking it down:

• perto de = near
• o centro = the center/downtown
• de + o = do

So:

• perto do centro = near the center

In real-estate contexts, centro usually refers to the central area of town or downtown.

Because Portuguese normally contracts de + o into do.

Common contractions include:

• de + o = do
• de + a = da
• em + o = no
• em + a = na

So:

• perto de o centro ❌
• perto do centro ✅

The contraction is required in normal Portuguese.

Yes. Centro literally means center, so the exact meaning depends on context.

It can mean:

• the downtown area of a city
• the center of a neighborhood or town
• the central part of something

In a housing ad like this, perto do centro most often means close to downtown or close to the city center.

This exact wording sounds strongly like ad/listing language.

A Brazilian person speaking more casually might say:

• Tem um apartamento mobiliado para alugar perto do centro.
• Está alugando um apartamento mobiliado perto do centro.
• Há um apartamento mobiliado para alugar perto do centro.

But in signs, classifieds, and property listings, Aluga-se apartamento mobiliado perto do centro is very natural.

Yes. In careful grammar, if the noun is plural, the verb is usually plural too:

• Aluga-se apartamento.
• Alugam-se apartamentos.

This agreement is traditionally taught and is common in formal writing.

That said, in real life you may sometimes see singular aluga-se used even with a plural noun in informal contexts or signage, but alugam-se apartamentos is the standard form.

A simple approximation is:

ah-LOO-gah-see ah-pahr-tah-MEN-too moh-bee-lee-AH-doo PEHR-too doo SEN-troo

A few notes:

• aluga-se: the final se is usually pronounced like see
• mobiliado: stress falls on a: mo-bi-li-A-do
• centro: in Brazil, the tr often sounds somewhat like chr to English ears in many accents

You do not need a perfect accent at first; the most important thing is recognizing the structure and the key words.