bom/grande/pequeno/velho

Adjective Meaning by Position

Level 2

In Portuguese, most adjectives go after the noun. However, a small group of common adjectives—bom, grande, pequeno, and velho—can go before the noun to express a subjective or figurative meaning, while staying after the noun for a literal or physical meaning.

How It Works

While the standard rule in Portuguese is adjective placement after the noun, specific adjectives change their nuance when moved to the front:

  • Grande: Before = 'great/remarkable'; After = 'big/large'.
  • Velho: Before = 'long-standing/former'; After = 'elderly/aged'.
  • Pobre: Before = 'unfortunate/pitiful'; After = 'financially poor'.
  • Novo: Before = 'another/newly acquired'; After = 'brand new/young'.
  • Bom: Before = 'competent/talented'; After = 'kind/morally good'.
  • Pequeno: Before = 'minor/insignificant'; After = 'small in size'.

All these must follow adjective agreement rules, matching the gender and number of the noun.

Examples (6)

  1. Ele é um grande homem.

    He is a great man.

    Word by Word: He is a great man.

    Before the noun, 'grande' emphasizes character or importance.

  2. Ele é um homem grande.

    He is a big/tall man.

    Word by Word: He is a man big.

    After the noun, 'grande' refers to physical size.

  3. Ela é uma velha amiga.

    She is a long-time friend.

    Word by Word: She is a old friend.

    Before the noun, 'velha' refers to the duration of the friendship.

  4. Ela é uma amiga velha.

    She is an elderly friend.

    Word by Word: She is a friend old.

    After the noun, 'velha' describes the person's age.

  5. O pobre homem não tem sorte.

    The unfortunate man has no luck.

    Word by Word: The poor man not has luck.

    Before the noun, 'pobre' expresses pity or misfortune.

  6. O homem pobre não tem dinheiro.

    The poor man has no money.

    Word by Word: The man poor not has money.

    After the noun, 'pobre' refers to a lack of financial wealth.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'amigo velho' to mean a long-time friend.

    Conheci o meu amigo velho há dez anos.
    Conheci o meu velho amigo há dez anos.

    'Amigo velho' implies the friend is physically old in years, which might be offensive if you just meant you've known them for a long time.

  • Applying this 'meaning shift' to every adjective.

    O vermelho carro é meu.
    O carro vermelho é meu.

    Most adjectives (like colors) must stay after the noun. Moving them to the front sounds very poetic or like a bad translation from English.

How It Connects

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

bom/grande/pequeno/velhoLevel 2Adjective Meaning by Position

Learn This First

To understand how the meaning of adjectives like 'bom', 'grande', 'pequeno', and 'velho' changes based on position, you first need a solid grasp of basic adjective agreement and the standard rules for where adjectives are placed in a sentence. You should also be familiar with the irregular forms of 'bom'.

Words in This Pattern

grandepequenovelho