-e

Adjectives Ending in -e

Level 1

In Portuguese, most adjectives change their ending to match the gender of the noun (e.g., bonito vs. bonita). However, adjectives ending in -e are generally gender-neutral. They stay the same whether the noun is masculine or feminine.

How It Works

Adjectives ending in -e belong to a category called adjetivos uniformes (uniform adjectives). This is a relief for learners because you usually don't have to worry about changing the vowel to match the noun's gender.

1. Gender Agreement
Unlike adjectives ending in -o/-a, these typically do not change.

  • Um homem forte (A strong man)
  • Uma mulher forte (A strong woman)

2. Plural Formation
While they ignore gender, they must still agree in number. To make them plural, simply add an -s.

  • Os livros interessantes (The interesting books)
  • As aulas interessantes (The interesting classes)

3. Common Examples
Many common descriptors follow this pattern, especially those ending in the suffix -nte:

  • Grande (Big)
  • Triste (Sad)
  • Forte (Strong)
  • Inteligente (Intelligent)
  • Importante (Important)
  • Paciente (Patient)

4. Exceptions
While the rule is nearly universal, a few rare exceptions exist where the adjective has a feminine form, such as mestre (masculine) and mestra (feminine), or the modern usage of presidenta.

Examples (5)

  1. O meu pai é muito paciente.

    My father is very patient.

    Word by Word: The my father is very patient.

    'Paciente' describes the masculine noun 'pai' (father).

  2. A minha mãe é muito paciente.

    My mother is very patient.

    Word by Word: The my mother is very patient.

    'Paciente' remains the same when describing the feminine noun 'mãe' (mother).

  3. Eles são estudantes inteligentes.

    They are intelligent students.

    Word by Word: They are students intelligent.

    The adjective 'inteligente' adds an -s to become 'inteligentes' to match the plural noun 'estudantes'.

  4. Esta é uma cidade grande.

    This is a big city.

    Word by Word: This is a city big.

    'Grande' is a uniform adjective describing the feminine noun 'cidade'.

  5. Eu li um livro interessante ontem.

    I read an interesting book yesterday.

    Word by Word: I read a book interesting yesterday.

    'Interessante' describes the masculine noun 'livro'.

Common Mistakes

  • Changing the -e to -a for feminine nouns.

    Ela é muito inteligenta.
    Ela é muito inteligente.

    Learners often try to apply the -o/-a rule to all adjectives. Adjectives ending in -e never change to -a.

  • Forgetting the plural -s.

    As casas são grande.
    As casas são grandes.

    Even though the gender doesn't change, you must still add -s if the noun is plural.

How It Connects

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

-eLevel 1Adjectives Ending in -e

Learn This First

To understand adjectives ending in -e, you first need to know that most Portuguese nouns and adjectives change their endings to match gender (usually -o for masculine and -a for feminine). This pattern introduces a specific group of adjectives that stay the same regardless of the noun's gender.