todo o / todos os
All and Every: Todo
Todo agrees with the noun and comes before the article: todo o día (all day), toda a familia (the whole family), todos os días (every day), todas as semanas (every week).
How It Works
Four forms
todo o, toda a, todos os, todas as. Todo agrees with the noun that follows the article.
Singular: the whole
Traballei todo o día (I worked all day), Toda a familia vive en Ourense (the whole family lives in Ourense).
Plural: all, every
Saio a camiñar todos os días (I go for a walk every day), todas as mañás (every morning). Compare: todo o día (the whole day) and todos os días (every day).
With possessives and demonstratives
Todo comes first: todos os meus amigos (all my friends), todo este tempo (all this time), todo iso (all that).
With pronouns
No article: todos nós (all of us), todas elas (all of them).
Everyone and everything
Todo o mundo means everyone and takes a singular verb: Todo o mundo sabe iso. Todos alone also means everyone, with a plural verb: Todos chegaron cedo. Todo alone means everything: Iso é todo.
Formal todo without an article
In formal writing, singular todo or toda can come straight before a noun to mean "every" or "any": Toda persoa ten dereito á educación (everyone has the right to education). This is not the same as leaving the article out after todos.
Tódolos
The standard also accepts the joined forms tódolos and tódalas (tódolos días), but todos os and todas as are preferred.
Examples (6)
- Traballei todo o día.
I worked all day.
Singular todo o = the whole.
- Toda a familia vive en Ourense.
The whole family lives in Ourense.
Familia is feminine, so toda a.
- Saio a camiñar todos os días.
I go for a walk every day.
Plural todos os = every.
- Todas as mañás tomo un café na mesma cafetaría.
Every morning I have a coffee in the same café.
- Todos os meus amigos falan galego.
All my friends speak Galician.
Todos comes before the article and the possessive.
- Todo o mundo sabe iso.
Everyone knows that.
Todo o mundo takes a singular verb.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out the article after todos.
Vou á praia todos días.Vou á praia todos os días.Todo is followed by the article: todos os días, todas as semanas.
Not making todo agree with a feminine noun.
Todo a familia veu á voda.Toda a familia veu á voda.Todo agrees with the noun: toda a familia, todas as casas.
Using a plural verb with todo o mundo.
Todo o mundo saben a verdade.Todo o mundo sabe a verdade.Todo o mundo is grammatically singular. With todos alone, use a plural verb: Todos saben a verdade.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Todo agrees with its noun and normally includes the definite article in the noun phrase.
Related Patterns
- The Second Form of the Article
Explains the joined forms tódolos and tódalas.
Level 5 - Accepted Variant Forms
Lists todos os and tódolos as accepted variants, with todos os preferred.
Level 6 - os dous / ambosBoth: Os Dous and Ambos
Another quantifier that is followed by the article: ambos os dous.
Level 4 - pouco / demasiado / bastante / variosQuantity Words: Pouco, Demasiado and Bastante
Other quantity words that agree with the noun but take no article.
Level 2 - Pronouns Before the Verb After Indefinite Subjects
Todos as a subject pulls pronouns before the verb: Todos o saben.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice todo o / todos os in Bubblegum
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