Questions & Answers about Nós somos cidadãos portugueses.
Why is the plural of cidadão formed as cidadãos? I thought words ending in -ão usually change to -ões.
While most words ending in -ão change to -ões in the plural (like limão to limões), there are a few exceptions that simply add an -s. Cidadão (citizen) is one of these important exceptions. Another very common one you will see is irmão (brother), which becomes irmãos. For now, it is easiest to just memorize these common exceptions.
How does the adjective português change to portugueses in this sentence?
To make a word ending in an accented -ês plural, you drop the accent mark and add -es. So, português becomes portugueses. The same rule applies to other nationalities you might have learned, like inglês becoming ingleses.
Why do we use somos instead of estamos for "we are" here?
Why is it cidadãos portugueses and not portugueses cidadãos?
In Portuguese, adjectives (words that describe things) almost always come after the noun they are describing. So instead of saying "Portuguese citizens" like in English, you say "citizens Portuguese" (cidadãos portugueses).
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