Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Tenho um gato preto.

Tenho um gato preto.

I have a black cat.

Breakdown of Tenho um gato preto.

a / an / some (all forms)

preto

black

Questions & Answers about Tenho um gato preto.

Why is the adjective preto placed after the noun gato?

In Portuguese, adjectives that describe a noun (like colors) usually come right after the noun, not before it like in English. That is why we say gato preto (cat black) instead of preto gato.

Why does preto end in -o?

Adjectives in Portuguese must match the gender of the noun they describe. Because gato is a masculine word, the adjective preto also takes its masculine form, ending in -o. If you were talking about a female cat (gata), the adjective would change to preta.

How would I change this sentence if I had more than one black cat?

You would need to make the article, the noun, and the adjective plural. The sentence would become Tenho uns gatos pretos. Notice how both gato and preto get an -s added to the end so they match in number.

Where is the word for "I" in this sentence?

The word for "I" is eu, but it is usually left out in Portuguese. The verb form tenho already means "I have," so you do not need to say eu tenho unless you want to add special emphasis.