Origin and possession (de, do, da)

The preposition "de" and contractions

In Portuguese, the preposition de translates to "of" or "from". When de is followed directly by a definite article (o, a, os, as), the two words smoothly merge together into a single word.

Preposition + ArticleContractionMeaning
de + odoof the / from the (masculine singular)
de + adaof the / from the (feminine singular)
de + osdosof the / from the (masculine plural)
de + asdasof the / from the (feminine plural)

Expressing possession

Portuguese does not use an apostrophe and an "s" (like "the father's") to show possession. Instead, you state what is owned, followed by de (or its contractions), and then the owner. Literally, you say "the car of the father".

The father's car is new.
O carro do pai é novo.
The sister's key is small.
A chave da irmã é pequena.
The woman's dog is beautiful.
O cão da mulher é bonito.

If the owners are plural, use the plural contractions dos or das.

The girls' dog is beautiful.
O cão das raparigas é bonito.

Expressing origin

You also use de to talk about where someone or something is from. If you are naming a city (which generally does not take a definite article), you just use the basic preposition de.

Where is the father from?
De onde é o pai?
Is the man from London?
O homem é de Londres?
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