àquele/àquela/àqueles/àquelas

Crase with Demonstratives

Level 4

Àquele is the fusion of the preposition a (to/at) and the demonstrative aquele (that). It is marked by a grave accent (crase).

How It Works

The phenomenon of crase is the contraction of two identical vowels. While most learners associate it only with the feminine article (a + a = à), it also occurs with demonstrative pronouns starting with 'a'.

1. The Components:

  • Preposition a (required by a 'regent' word like a verb or noun)
  • + Demonstrative aquele, aquela, aqueles, aquelas, aquilo
  • = àquele, àquela, àqueles, àquelas, àquilo

2. When to use it:
You must use the accent if the verb or noun before the demonstrative requires the preposition a. For example, the verb referir-se (to refer to) always takes a. Therefore: Refiro-me àquele livro (I refer to that book).

3. The Substitution Test:
To check if you need the accent, try replacing aquele with a este. If the sentence still makes sense and requires the 'a', then the accent is necessary.
Example: Assisti àquele filme (I watched that movie) becomes Assisti a este filme. Since the 'a' remains, the accent is correct.

Examples (4)

  1. Eu me referia àquela situação de ontem.

    I was referring to that situation from yesterday.

    Word by Word: I me referred to-that situation of yesterday.

    The verb 'referir-se' requires the preposition 'a'. Combined with 'aquela', it becomes 'àquela'.

  2. Nós entregamos o prêmio àquele ator.

    We delivered the prize to that actor.

    Word by Word: We delivered the prize to-that actor.

    Even though 'ator' is masculine, the contraction 'àquele' is mandatory because 'entregar' requires the preposition 'a' for the recipient.

  3. Não dê importância àquilo que ele diz.

    Don't give importance to that which he says.

    Word by Word: Not give importance to-that which he says.

    The noun 'importância' requires the preposition 'a'. When followed by the neuter 'aquilo', they merge into 'àquilo'.

  4. Assisti àquele documentário na televisão.

    I watched that documentary on television.

    Word by Word: I-watched to-that documentary on-the television.

    In standard Portuguese, the verb 'assistir' (to watch) requires the preposition 'a', triggering the crase with 'aquele'.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting the accent because the following word is masculine.

    Eu fui aquele lugar.
    Eu fui àquele lugar.

    Many learners think 'crase' only happens with feminine words. However, with 'aquele', the accent is required regardless of gender if the preposition 'a' is present.

  • Using the accent when the verb doesn't require a preposition.

    Eu comprei àquele carro.
    Eu comprei aquele carro.

    The verb 'comprar' is transitive direct (it doesn't take 'a'). Therefore, no contraction occurs.

How It Connects

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

àquele/àquela/àqueles/àquelasLevel 4Crase with Demonstratives

Learn This First

The pattern 'àquele' is a contraction between the preposition 'a' and the demonstrative 'aquele'. To learn this, a learner needs to be familiar with the base demonstrative pronouns, the function of the preposition 'a', and the general rules of 'crase' (vowel fusion) in Portuguese.

Words in This Pattern

àqueleàquelaàquelesàquelas