Demonstratives and the verb to be (isto é, o, a)

Nouns and Definite Articles

In Portuguese, every noun is either masculine or feminine. To say "the", use o for masculine words and a for feminine words.

  • o rapaz (the boy)
  • a rapariga (the girl)

The Verb "ser" (to be)

The verb ser means "to be" and is used to talk about identity and permanent traits. Here are the forms for "I" (eu) and "you" (tu):

PronounVerb formMeaning
eusouI am
tuésyou are

To ask a question, just raise your pitch at the end of the sentence—no need to change the word order.

I am the boy.
Eu sou o rapaz.
Are you the girl?
És a rapariga?

Pointing Things Out: Demonstratives

Portuguese has three words for pointing things out, depending on how far away they are:

  • isto (this) — close to you (the speaker)
  • isso (that) — close to the person you are talking to
  • aquilo (that over there) — far from both of you

Combine these with é (is) to identify objects:

This is the book.
Isto é o livro.
That is the table.
Isso é a mesa.
That over there is the house.
Aquilo é a casa.

Connecting Ideas

You can link phrases together using the word e (and).

I am the girl and you are the boy.
Eu sou a rapariga e tu és o rapaz.
This is the book and that over there is the house.
Isto é o livro e aquilo é a casa.