The -vel suffix
In Portuguese, you can rapidly expand your vocabulary by learning a few common suffixes that turn verbs and nouns into adjectives. One of the most frequent is -vel (often matching the English -able or -ible). It expresses the capacity for something or an inherent quality.
Adjectives ending in -vel are gender-neutral, meaning they use the exact same form whether describing a masculine or a feminine noun.
The -al suffix
Another essential suffix is -al, which works just like its English counterpart. It means "relating to" the base noun. Like words ending in -vel, adjectives ending in -al are also gender-neutral.
The -oso suffix
The suffix -oso (which often translates to -ous, -ful, or -y) is added to nouns to describe someone who is "full of" or characterized by that specific trait.
Unlike the previous two suffixes, adjectives ending in -oso must agree with the gender of the noun they describe. For feminine nouns, the ending changes to -osa.
When analyzing interpersonal dynamics, you will often mix and match these descriptive traits to talk about personality.
When describing multiple people or things, adjectives ending in -oso simply take an -s (-osos, -osas). However, to form the plural of adjectives ending in -vel or -al, you must drop the final -l and add -is.
