à minha/à sua
Crase with Feminine Possessives
Crase (à) occurs before feminine possessives when a verb requires the preposition 'a' and you choose to use the definite article. It is usually optional but becomes mandatory if the noun is omitted.
How It Works
The crase (marked by the grave accent `) represents the fusion of the preposition a (demanded by a verb or noun) and the feminine definite article a.
1. The Optional Rule:
Since you can say either 'Falei a minha mãe' (preposition only) or 'Falei à minha mãe' (preposition + article), the crase is considered facultative (optional) before feminine possessive adjectives that precede a noun.
2. The Mandatory Rule:
If the possessive pronoun stands alone (acting as a substantive/noun replacement), the article becomes mandatory, and thus the crase becomes mandatory.
Example: 'Não me refiro à sua irmã, mas à minha.' (I'm not referring to your sister, but to mine).
3. Gender and Number:
- Masculine: Never uses crase. It becomes ao or remains a (e.g., 'Entreguei o livro ao meu pai').
- Plural: If the possessive is plural, the crase must also be plural (às minhas) if the article is used. 'A minhas' (preposition only) is correct, but 'à minhas' (singular accent + plural noun) is a grammatical error.
Examples (4)
- Eu entreguei o presente à minha mãe.
I delivered the gift to my mother.
Word by Word: I delivered the gift to-the my mother.
Here, 'entregar' requires the preposition 'a'. The crase is used because the speaker chose to include the optional article 'a' before 'minha'.
- Ele se referiu à sua proposta, não à minha.
He referred to your proposal, not to mine.
Word by Word: He himself referred to-the your proposal, not to-the mine.
The first 'à sua' is optional, but the second 'à minha' is mandatory because the noun 'proposta' is omitted.
- Enviei os documentos a minha advogada.
I sent the documents to my lawyer.
Word by Word: I-sent the documents to my lawyer.
This is also correct. The crase is omitted because the speaker chose not to use the optional definite article before the possessive.
- Dê os parabéns às nossas irmãs.
Give congratulations to our sisters.
Word by Word: Give the congratulations to-the-plural our sisters.
When using the plural feminine possessive, the crase must also be plural (à + as = às).
Common Mistakes
Using crase before masculine possessives.
Eu disse a verdade à meu pai.Eu disse a verdade ao meu pai.Crase only exists for the feminine article 'a'. Masculine words use the contraction 'ao' (a + o).
Using a singular crase with a plural possessive.
Enviei flores à minhas tias.Enviei flores às minhas tias.If you use the accent, it must agree in number. Use 'às minhas' (article + preposition) or 'a minhas' (preposition only).
Using crase with formal titles like 'Vossa Excelência'.
Escrevi à Vossa Excelência.Escrevi a Vossa Excelência.Formal treatment pronouns (except 'senhora' and 'senhorita') do not accept the definite article, so crase is not used.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand crase with feminine possessives, you first need to understand the basic mechanism of crase (a + a = à). You also need to know feminine possessive adjectives and the fact that in Portuguese, using a definite article before a possessive (like 'a minha') is common but optional, which is why this specific crase is often considered optional.
- à/àsCrase Before Feminine Articles
Understanding the basic contraction of the preposition 'a' with the definite article 'a' is fundamental to understanding how it applies to possessives.
Level 4 - o meu carro/a minha casaDefinite Article with Possessive
Since crase with possessives depends on the optional use of the definite article before the possessive, the learner needs to understand that articles can precede possessives in Portuguese.
Level 2
Related Patterns
- Article with Possessive
The optional nature of the article before possessives is the reason why crase is optional in these cases.
Level 2 - meu/minha/meus/minhasPossessive First Person Singular
These are the feminine possessive forms that trigger the possibility of crase.
Level 1 - a + o = aoContraction Ao
The masculine equivalent of crase, showing how the preposition 'a' behaves with masculine possessives.
Level 1 - minha mãePossessive Without Article
Explains the alternative choice of omitting the article, which results in no crase.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice à minha/à sua in Bubblegum
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