Log inSign up

Ele tornou-se amigável e agradável.

Ele tornou-se amigável e agradável.
He became friendly and pleasant.
From Lesson 303:Adjective suffixes (-vel, -al, -oso)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of Ele tornou-se amigável e agradável.

e
and
ele
he
tornar-se
to become
amigável
friendly
agradável
pleasant

Questions & Answers about Ele tornou-se amigável e agradável.

Both amigável and agradável end in -vel. How does this suffix work here?
The suffix -vel is similar to the English '-able' or '-ible'. It turns a noun or a verb into an adjective describing a quality or capability. Amigável comes from the noun amigo (friend), and agradável comes from the verb agradar (to please).
How would we make these adjectives plural if the sentence was about Eles (They)?
Adjectives ending in -el drop the -l and add -is in the plural. For words ending in -ável, the plural ending is -áveis. The sentence would be: Eles tornaram-se amigáveis e agradáveis.
Why use tornou-se for 'became' instead of ficou?
The reflexive verb tornar-se is used for lasting transformations in someone's character, identity, or profession. Because becoming friendly and pleasant describes a significant, steady shift in his personality, tornou-se fits perfectly. Ficar is generally used for temporary states or sudden emotional reactions.
Why is there an accent mark on the second-to-last syllable of amigável and agradável?
In Portuguese, words ending in -l normally stress the very last syllable. Because the suffix -vel is always pronounced with the stress on the vowel right before the v, the written accent is required to show that we are breaking the normal pronunciation rule.

Learn Ele tornou-se amigável e agradável and more in Portuguese

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Portuguese →