Accepted Variant Forms

Level 6

Standard Galician sometimes allows two correct forms of the same word: posible or posíbel (possible), ata or até (until), desde or dende (since).

How It Works

Why there are two forms

The 2003 standard (the RAG and ILG Normas ortográficas e morfolóxicas) accepted some forms that are traditional in Galician next to forms that were already standard. The dictionary of the Real Academia Galega lists both; the second form of a pair usually points you to the first one.

The main pairs

  • -ble / -bel: posible or posíbel, amable or amábel. The -bel form needs a written accent and makes its plural in -beis: posíbeis.
  • -ería / -aría: libraría or librería (bookshop).
  • ata / até (until, up to).
  • desde / dende (from, since).

Two pairs with a usual choice

  • todos os / tódolos: todos os días is the usual form; tódolos días joins todos with the second form of the article and is also correct.
  • ao / ó: Vou ao mercado is the usual spelling; Vou ó mercado is also correct. Both are pronounced with an open o.

Be consistent. Do not switch between ata and até or between ao and ó in the same text. Mixing is not a grammar error, but it looks careless.

Watch for hybrids. Each variant is a complete form. A mix of the two, such as posíble or posibel, is simply wrong.

Examples (6)

  1. É posible que chova esta tarde.

    It may rain this afternoon.

    Posible is the form you will see most often.

  2. É posíbel que chova esta tarde.

    It may rain this afternoon.

    Posíbel is equally correct. Note the written accent.

  3. Mercou o libro nunha libraría do centro.

    She bought the book at a bookshop in the town centre.

    Librería would also be correct here.

  4. Traballo até as cinco.

    I work until five.

    Até is a correct variant of ata.

  5. Vivo aquí dende 2010.

    I have lived here since 2010.

    Dende is a correct variant of desde.

  6. Véxoa tódolos días.

    I see her every day.

    Tódolos is correct, although todos os días is the more usual choice.

Common Mistakes

  • Mixing the two forms into one word.

    Iso non é posíble.
    Iso non é posible.

    Choose posible (no accent) or posíbel (with an accent). Posíble and posibel are not standard forms.

  • Writing both todos and the article after tódolos.

    Véxoa tódolos os días.
    Véxoa tódolos días.

    Tódolos already contains the article, so write tódolos días or todos os días.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Accepted Variant FormsLevel 6

Learn This First

Accepted variants should be distinguished from errors and used consistently within a text.